Ruby Rose

Creation and conception

Oum designed the characters with assistance from artist Ein Lee. Oum had been browsing Lee's DeviantArt work and asked if she wanted to do some designs. The only rule provided for the series was "everyone must be badass." Lee also said that some of the characters were conceived between her and Oum, where he would provide a description followed by her sketching some ideas, or vice versa. Others were from brainstorming with other people. The characters utilize designs inspired by classic fairy tale characters. Each character has an associated color, and it is the first letters of these colors, red, white, black, and yellow, that give the series its name. Lee said that looking to people, Google image searches, and fashion were inspirations: "how people dress−down to the littlest detail—gives many subtle (and some not so subtle) hints about who they are. It's all about giving the characters a unique and memorable look that people can still identify with." Oum also drew inspiration from the Final Fantasy video games and the "ridiculously obnoxious weapons".

The series was written by Oum, along with fellow Rooster Teeth employees Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross. Oum was initially concerned about a story focusing on female characters being developed by a primarily male crew, but said they managed to do well developing the female characters.

Protagonists

Team RWBY

Team RWBY (pronounced "ruby") 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—reflected in their names and personalities.

Ruby Rose

Voiced by: Lindsay Jones / Saori Hayami

A silver-eyed girl who uses a scythe called Crescent Rose as both a melee weapon and as a high caliber sniper rifle. Her Semblance is called "Petal Burst", which enables her to transform into a fast burst of rose petals, allowing for near-instant short-range intangibility and teleportation. Penny Polendina described Ruby's semblance as "extremely complex and variable. It involves breaking her body down to its molecular components before zooming off in complex paths, negating the laws of mass entirely." Initially, it was thought that Ruby's ability was primarily super-speed, enabling her to run faster than the human eye can catch, and change directions in mid-air.Vol. 1, Ch. 14 & Vol. 4, Ch. 1 When her mother Summer vanished when she was very young, Ruby was raised on the island of Patch by her father Taiyang and her older half-sister Yang Xiao Long.Vol. 1, Ch. 1 & Vol. 2, Ch. 6

Ruby alludes to the fairy tale character Little Red Riding Hood.

Weiss Schnee

Voiced By: Kara EberleVol. 1 credits, Casey Lee Williams (singing voice), Elizabeth Maxwell (Young) / Yōko Hikasa

The former heiress to the Schnee family, a powerful high-class family based in Atlas. Their Schnee Dust Company provides much of the worldwide supply of Dust, despite the family being targeted by the White Fang due to the immoral business ethics of Weiss' father Jacques, which included mistreatment of Faunus laborers.Vol. 1, Ch. 15 While inheriting her family's white hair and blue eyes, Weiss gained a noticeable scar over her left eye as a result of fighting an Arma Gigas.White Trailer Weiss uses a Dust-loaded revolver/rapier-hybrid named Myrtenaster. Weiss's semblance, called Semblance of Glyphs, is extremely rare because it's hereditary; females of the Schnee family all have the same semblance. This semblance allows Weiss to create glyphs enhanced with Dust that can be utilize in a variety of ways, on either herself, her allies or enemies: perform limited time dilation, manipulate gravity, freezing the terrain, fire projectiles, block attacks, generate midair platforms, and summon creatures. Weiss's fighting style consists of a mixture of these glyphs, Dust and her weapon. Weiss chose to become a Huntress at Beacon Academy with aspirations of restoring her family's honor, as she disagreed with her father's business methods.Vol. 2, Ch. 9–10 The Nightmare version of Weiss, known as Negative Weiss, serves as the main antagonist of the Ice Queendom.

Team JNPR

Team JNPR (pronounced "juniper"), renamed JNR ("junior") after the loss of Pyrrha, is inspired by historical figures who had taken on the appearance of the opposite gender. In Volume 4, Ruby temporarily joins their group and they informally rename themselves Team RNJR ("ranger") under her leadership.

Jaune Arc

Voiced By: Miles LunaVol. 1 credits / Hiro Shimono

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 its weight.Vol. 1 In Volume 4, Jaune upgraded the shield so that it can act as a second blade for the sword.Vol. 4, Ch. 12 In Volume 7, the shield is further upgraded by Pietro with hardened light Dust on the sides that Jaune can use to act as a glider in air, and the crest can now hold Dust.Vol. 7, Ch. 3 His Semblance, "Aura Amp", allows him to amplify his Aura or that of others, and he can quickly recharge his Aura even when broken by Volume 7.Vol. 7, Ch. 6 After arriving in the Ever After in volume 9, Jaune picked a fruit that sent him decades back in time which resulted in him becoming the Rusted Knight, a fairytale character from the Girl Who Fell Through the World.Vol. 9, Ch. 5-10

His name is a reference to the French heroine Joan of Arc.

Nora Valkyrie

Voiced By: Samantha Ireland,Vol. 1 credits Kristen McGuire (Young) / Aya Suzaki

An orange-haired student at Beacon and old friend of Ren who carries Magnhild, a war hammer that can be converted into a grenade launcher. In Volume 4, Nora has upgraded Magnhild, so that it can apparently hold a stronger electric charge.Vol. 4, Ch. 1 Her Semblance, "High Voltage", is the production and manipulation of electricity, allowing her to channel the energy to her muscles and gain superhuman strength.Vol. 3, Ch. 2 Nora is very talkative and hyperactive, which tends to annoy her teammates, but she's also the most positive member of the team. Nora was living on the streets of Kuroyuri when she was a child. When the village was attacked by Grimm, Ren saved her, beginning their friendship.Vol. 4, Ch. 10 & Vol. 8, Ch. 11 Nora eventually admits her love for Ren but wants to find her own identity before entering a relationship with him.Vol. 8, Ch. 11

Penny Polendina

Voiced by: Taylor "Pelto" McNeeVol. 1 & Vol. 3, Ch. 5, 12, credits / Megumi Han

An orange-haired student came to the Vytal Festival to compete in the combat tournament. She wields Floating Array: a small backpack that contains an array of gun-bladed weapons and wires. She can also use the swords as an energy beam cannon. She is known to act awkwardly around people, though she quickly becomes friends with Ruby.Vol. 1, Ch. 15 Penny is an android capable of generating an Aura that originally belonged to her creator, Pietro.Vol. 2, Ch. 4 & Vol. 7, Ch. 7 In Volume 3, during Penny's battle against Pyrrha in the Vytal Festival, Pyrrha is affected by Emerald's hallucinating Semblance, reflecting Penny's attack, causing the wires connected to her swords to tear her apart.Vol. 3, Ch. 9 In Volume 7, Penny is shown to have been rebuilt sometime after the Fall of Beacon and upgraded with thrusters in her feet allowing her to fly. She has become the protector of Mantle and part of Ironwood's inner circle.Vol. 7, Ch. 1–2 In the volume finale, while helping Winter in receiving the Winter Maiden's power, Penny ends up inheriting the Maiden's power while confronted by Cinder.Vol. 7, Ch. 12–13 In Volume 8, Penny is hacked by Watts through her sword stolen by the Ace-Ops and is occasionally controlled by his virus.Vol. 8, Ch. 3, 5 & 7–8 At the vault, Penny opens it for Team RWBY and succumbs to the virus. But her soul is separated from her robot body by Ambrosius, and she is given a human body as her old one is terminated.Vol. 8, Ch. 12 In the passageways to Vacuo, Penny is mortally wounded by Cinder. She lets Jaune kill her so that she can pass the Maiden's power to Winter.Vol. 8, Ch. 14

Penny alludes to the character Pinocchio, hiccuping every time she tells a lie.Vol. 2, Ch. 3

Team STRQ

Team STRQ (pronounced "stark") is a now-defunct team composed of Ruby and Yang's relatives, commented to have similarities to Team RWBY like being favored by Ozpin.

Summer Rose Voiced by: Morgan LauréVol. 9 creditsThe leader of Team STRQ, and the mother of Ruby and stepmother of Yang whose gravestone is frequently visited by Ruby. Her weapon was an axe-rifle hybrid.Vol. 9, Ch. 5 & 9 She is later revealed to be the second lover to Yang and Ruby's father, Taiyang, the first being Yang's mother, Raven. Summer wore a white hooded cloak similar to the red cloak Ruby would later wear, and she possessed silver eyes, which have devastating effects against the Grimm and passed this trait to Ruby.Vol. 6, Ch. 13. Summer went on a mission but never came back which 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.Vol. 2, Ch. 6 Qrow tells Ruby that even Ozpin did not know the nature of Summer's last mission, with Salem revealing herself as the one who is responsible for her fate.Vol. 7, Ch. 4 & 11 The finale of Volume 9 reveals that Summer lied about her last mission to her family, with only Raven knowing the truth.Vol. 9, Ch. 10 Her full name is a reference to the poem, The Last Rose of Summer, and her gravestone has a line from the poem, "Thus kindly I scatter."Red Trailer

Taiyang Xiao LongVoiced by: Burnie BurnsVol. 3 credits / Kenyu HoriuchiYang and Ruby's widowed father, only mentioned many times in the first two Volumes before appearing out of focus seen when Ruby visits Summer's grave.Vol. 3, Ch. 1 He appears in the Volume 3 finale where he watches over his daughters in their home in Patch as they recover from the Battle of Beacon.Vol. 3, Ch. 12 Taiyang is mentioned to be a bit overprotective of both of his daughters and loves them dearly.Vol. 3, Ch. 12 Like Qrow, he is also a teacher at Signal.Vol. 3, Ch. 1 In Volume 4, Taiyang receives a bionic arm for Yang from Ironwood and encourages Yang to gradually accept the prosthesis while training her to not depend too much on her Semblance and opening up about Raven.Vol. 4, Ch. 3–4 & 9 His name, Taiyang (太阳), is Chinese for "sun."

Raven BranwenVoiced by: Anna Hullum / Megumi HayashibaraThe former third member of Team STRQ, the mother of Yang, the first lover of Taiyang, Qrow's older twin sister and leader of the Branwen Tribe who follows a survival of the fittest philosophy and has seized the power of the Spring Maiden for herself. Raven is armed with Omen: an ōdachi with interchangeable blades inside the sheath as her weapon of choice with her Semblance, "Kindred Link", allowing her to create a portal to whoever she has a bond with.Vol. 5, Ch. 4 Raven alludes to Huginn from Norse mythology.

Ozma

Voiced by: Aaron Dismuke and Shannon McCormick

An ancient warrior who was Salem's lover before dying from an illness. As Salem's desire to resurrect Ozma resulted in her rebellion against the gods, Ozma is brought back to life by the God of Light to lead the resurrected humanity, leading to an endless war against Salem, whom Jinn reveals that Ozma cannot kill.Vol. 6, Ch. 3 Every time he dies, his soul transmigrates into a new like-minded host, allowing him to take control of his host body at will while both can access each other's memories with Professor Ozpin being his current incarnation at the start of the series and referred as such before his origins are revealed.Vol. 5, Ch. 3 One of his past incarnations was the basis of the wizard from a story based on the creation of the first Maidens, another being a king who fought through the war.Vol. 5, Ch. 7 In each lifetime, he forms an inner circle to aid him. 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 despite admitting to be slightly paranoid due to countless acts of betrayal he suffered across his past lives,Vol. 6, Ch. 1–2 a trait that he eventually came to abstain from.Vol. 7, Ch. 13 Ozma is named after Princess Ozma from the Oz book series, his reincarnations reference the title character of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Professor Ozpin

Voiced by: Shannon McCormickVol. 1 credits / Kazuhiko Inoue

The headmaster of Beacon Academy and the latest reincarnation of Ozma, armed with a cane, The Long Memory, which has numerous functions that include serving as a melee weapon capable of generating a protective force field.Vol. 3, Ch. 12 The cane has vast amount of powerful kinetic energy stored inside, accumulated by Ozpin during his past lifetimes.Vol. 8, Ch. 10

Oscar Pine

Voiced by: Aaron DismukeVol. 4 credits / Rie Kugimiya

A young farm boy who lived with his aunt before becoming Ozpin's new host and joining his students.

He is believed to allude to Tippetarius, or the disguised form of Princess Ozma from The Marvelous Land of Oz

Maria Calavera

Voiced by: Melissa Sternenberg

An elderly woman with prosthetic eyes, though she cannot see color with them.Vol. 6, Ch. 6 She was originally a silver-eyed Huntress known as the Grimm Reaper before being blinded by the Faunus assassin Tock. Maria received her prosthetic eyes from Pietro, and they have been close friends ever since.Vol. 7, Ch. 1 The cane she uses was one of her two kamas, Life and Death, that combine at the ends to form a twin-bladed weapon.Vol. 6, Ch. 7 Her Semblance, which she calls "Preflexes", allows her to react to attacks almost before they happen. Unlike most Hunters, due to the risk of being targeted by Salem, Maria was trained by her father instead of attending a school.Vol. 6, Ch. 8 She meets Team RWBY, Qrow and Oscar after they crash-land into the snow region of northern Anima.Vol. 6, Ch. 1 Upon learning that Ruby has silver eyes, Maria teaches her to consciously use her powers when they are attacked by the Apathy Grimm.Vol. 6, Ch. 6 In Argus, she becomes a mentor to Ruby and shares what she knows about the silver eyes.Vol. 6, Ch. 8

She alludes to the typical image of the Grim Reaper in popular culture, and her last name means "skull" in Spanish.

Emerald Sustrai

Voiced by: Katie Newville / Marina Inoue

A light green-haired girl with dark skin who was an associate of Cinder's and uses Thief's Respite, a pair of pistols with attached blades that can also extend via chains, similar to a kusarigama. Her Semblance, "Hallucinations", 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.Vol. 3, Ch. 7 By the time of Volume 8, Emerald has trained in improving her Semblance, as she can cast hallucinations on multiple people and keep them for an extended period of time.Vol. 8, Ch. 9 Ever since she was recruited by Cinder, Emerald had an undying loyalty to her, even if she serves someone as evil as Salem.Vol. 5, Ch. 11 But after she learns of Salem's true goals and is nearly killed by the witch, Emerald defects to Ruby's group.Vol. 8, Ch. 7 & 9-11

She alludes to Aladdin from the classic anthology book One Thousand and One Nights.

Kingdoms

Vale

Glynda GoodwitchVoiced by: Kathleen Zuelch (Volumes 1–3)Vol. 1 credits, Tiana Camacho (Ice Queendom, Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One) / Masumi Asano: A Huntress and teacher at Beacon AcademyVol. 1 who wields a riding crop, The Disciplinarian, 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 behind only 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 PortVoiced by: Ryan Haywood (Volumes 1–4)Vol. 1 credits / Anthony Sardinha (Grimm Eclipse, Ice Queendom–present) / Soichi Abe: A veteran Huntsman and teacher at Beacon Academy, and is an expert on fighting different creatures of Grimm. His weapon, Blowhard, is a blunderbuss that has axe blades attached to the stock. In Volume 1, Port tells Weiss to be more humble and support Ruby as a teammate. Vol. 1, Ch. 10 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 allude to Peter and the Wolf.

Dr. Bartholomew OobleckVoiced by: Joel Heyman Vol. 1 credits / Yuichi Karasuma: A teacher at Beacon Academy, teaching Remnant history. His weapon of choice is Antiquity's Roast, 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 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 by Dr. Seuss.

Team CRDL

Team CRDL (pronounced "cardinal") is formed as another first-year team at Beacon Academy, alongside RWBY and JNPR.Vol. 1, Ch. 8 The team's members have a gray and brown color scheme and are named after birds.

Mistral

Professor Leonardo LionheartVoiced by: Daman Mills: A lion Faunus with a tail who was the headmaster of Haven Academy, armed with wrist-mounted shield named Stalwart that fires combined Dust projectiles. While originally a member of Ozpin's inner circle, Lionheart betrayed them as he allied himself with Salem's faction out of fear.Vol. 4, Ch. 12 Lionheart was killed by Salem's Seer Grimm after trying to flee when the tide of the battle of Haven turned against Salem's faction.Vol. 5, Ch. 14

He is based on the Cowardly Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Team SSSN

Each member of Team SSSN (pronounced "sun") has a Big Bang motif. They transferred to Shade after Lionheart's death and serve as the main protagonists of the novel RWBY: Before the Dawn alongside Team CFVY.

Sun Wukong Voiced by: Michael JonesVol. 1 credits / Tomoaki Maeno: A blond-haired monkey Faunus. 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 (sometimes referred to as "gunchucks"). With his Semblance, "Via Sun", he can create astral projection clones of himself in battle. He possesses great speed and agility from his monkey-like traits and seems to be able to see through disguises, as he noticed Blake's Faunus heritage despite her bow.Vol. 1, Ch. 15 Even though he attends the academy in Mistral, he's actually a native of Vacuo.Vol. 3, Ch. 2 He lost his parents at a young age, unable to remember their faces. His only family left is his cousin, Starr Sanzang. Sun would serve as Blake's voice of comfort until they eventually parted ways. Sun alludes to the character of the same name from Journey to the West.

Scarlet David Voiced by: Gavin Free: A red-haired young man with a cape who wields Hook and Darling, a flintlock pistol and a cutlass, as his weapons of choice. The handle of the pistol can be fired as a grappling hook. His Semblance is "Gliding", which allows him to maneuver in the air and land safely. In the Before the Dawn novel, Scarlet is at odds with Sun due to his leader's constant abandonment of the team. He also enters into a relationship with Nolan. Scarlet alludes to Peter Pan, specifically from Peter Pan in Scarlet. His outfit is an allusion to G-Dragon of Big Bang.

Atlas

General James Ironwood

Voiced by: Jason Rose / Masaki Terasoma

Headmaster of Atlas Academy and a renowned military leader, also being a member of Ozpin's inner circle despite disagreeing with him over using military force to handle threats head-on. According to Glynda, he tends to take his work with him wherever he goes. His weapons, collectively called Due Process, are a pair of revolvers that can be attached to a cannon.Vol. 8, Ch. 12 His Semblance, "Mettle", enables him to hyper-focus and carry through with whatever decision he makes. In Volume 3, it is revealed that Ironwood has a robotic right arm, torso and leg.Vol. 3, Ch. 11 Ironwood decided to take the war against Salem into his own hands after the fall of Beacon, but the stress combined with his paranoia slowly drove his allies and followers away and he was left to die in the fall of Atlas.Vol. 8, Ch. 14 Ironwood alludes to the Tin Woodman from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Winter Schnee

Voiced by: Elizabeth Maxwell / Ayako Kawasumi

Weiss' elder sister and Ironwood's right hand in the military, armed with a saber with a detachable estoc. Like Weiss, having left the Schnee family to make a difference, Winter inherited their family's "Glyphs" Semblance, which she fully mastered to easily summon constructs modeled after defeated Grimm. While dignified and distant, Winter deeply cares for Weiss and is ill-tempered, as shown when Qrow insulted the Atlas military while provoking her to fight him.Vol. 3 Ch. 3 During the fall of Atlas, Penny passed the Winter Maiden's power to her.Vol. 8 Ch. 14

Winter is possibly an allusion to The Snow Queen.

Caroline Cordovin

Voiced by: Mela Lee

The special operative in charge in Argus. Cordovin is a prideful and arrogant woman who looks down on all non-Atlesians, and is emotionally unstable, especially when provoked. Upon meeting the group of heroes, she refuses to allow any of them to go to Atlas, except for Weiss. She also has a bad history with Maria.Vol. 6, Ch. 8 When the group tries to steal a military airship, Cordovin overreacts by piloting a giant mech called the Colossus to attack them but ultimately loses after Ruby destroys the mech's cannon, she ultimately lets the heroes leave for Atlas after they helped defend the city against the Grimm.Vol. 6, Ch. 10–12

Vacuo

Professor Theodore

The headmaster of Shade Academy who is first mentioned in the novel RWBY: After the Fall. He is a genderbent allusion to Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Professor Xanthe Rumpole

The history teacher of Shade Academy and Theodore's right-hand woman. Her Semblance allows her to touch any non-living object and turn it to gold in an instant. In Before the Dawn, Rumpole secretly allows Team CFVY to investigate The Crown. She is an allusion to Rumpelstiltsken.

Team BRNZ

Team BRNZ (pronounced "bronze") fights Team JNPR in the first (team) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament.Vol. 3, Ch. 2 In Before the Dawn, it is revealed that Nolan is the sole survivor of his team after the fall of Beacon.

Brawnz Ni Voiced by: Blaine Gibson / Ryuichi Kijima: A black-haired man with gray highlights who wields a pair of claws.

Roy Stallion Voiced by: Atsushi Miyamoto: A dark-skinned male with dreadlocks who wears gauntlets capable of firing circular saw blades.

Nolan Porfirio Voiced by: Aaron Marquis: A maroon-haired man who wields an electrically charged cattle prod. In Before the Dawn, it was revealed he had romantic feelings for Roy, and later entered into a relationship with Scarlet. He is intended as the "Lost Boy" to Scarlet's Peter Pan.

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 The characters are based on fans who were Indiegogo backers for the movie Lazer Team. In Before the Dawn, they act the most antagonistic towards the other transfer student teams from Beacon and Haven.

Menagerie

Ghira Belladonna Voiced by: Kent Williams / Masafumi Kimura: Blake's father, and chieftain of Menagerie. His Faunus trait is his retractable panther claws at his fingertips.Vol. 5, Ch. 8 He originally served as leader of the White Fang before stepping down.

Kali Belladonna Voiced by: Tara Platt / Megumi Toyoguchi: Ghira's wife and Blake's mother. Like her daughter, Kali has cat ears.

Ilia Amitola Voiced by: Cherami Leigh / Mariya Ise: A chameleon Faunus who is an old acquaintance of Blake's, able to change her skin tone and eye color at will. She wields Lightning Lash, a rapier-like weapon that doubles as a whip that can give off an electrical charge.

Citizens

Zwei Ruby and Yang's pet Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He only makes a few appearances in the main RWBY series but is featured more extensively in the RWBY Chibi series. In Volume 2, Zwei is sent to Ruby and Yang by Taiyang via mail to be taken care of. Vol. 2, Ch. 8 After Ruby sneaks the dog on her team's assignment, he helps them and Oobleck fighting Torchwick and the White Fang.Vol. 2, Ch. 9 & 11 Zwei returns to the family home in Patch following the Fall of Beacon. Vol. 4 His name is a play on the corgi Ein from the manga/anime series Cowboy Bebop.

Shopkeep Voiced by: Patrick RodriguezVol. 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 Volumes 2 and 3, he operates a noodle stand on the Vytal Festival grounds. Vol. 2, Ch. 4 & Vol. 3, Ch. 1 Shopkeep survives the Fall of Beacon and watches Ruby's broadcast to the world with Goodwitch in Volume 8. Vol. 8, Ch. 5

Tukson Voiced by: Adam EllisVol. 2 credits / Kenta Miyake: A puma Faunus with finger claws who was a former White Fang member before deserting them to open a book shop in Vale. He planned on fleeing to Vacuo, but was killed by Mercury and Emerald. Vol. 2, Ch. 1

Jaune's Great-Great Grandfather Jaune's ancestor who fought in the Great War, and the original wielder of Crocea Mors.Vol. 1, Ch. 2

Saphron Cotta-Arc Voiced by: Lindsay Sheppard: Jaune's elder sister who is currently living in Argus with her wife Terra and their son Adrian. She is the only daughter of the family to have moved out.Vol. 6, Ch. 7 She helps her brother's group by having Adrian distract the military base with his cries.Vol. 6, Ch. 10 She is based on Sappho of Lesbos.

Terra Cotta-Arc Voiced by: Jamie Smith: Saphron's wife and Adrian's mother. She works as a technician at the city of Argus' relay tower, though she has been falsely blamed for technical troubles.Vol. 6, Ch. 7 Terra guides Blake on how to disable the tower's radar when the group tries to steal an airship.Vol. 6, Ch. 10

Adrian Cotta-Arc Voiced by: Lucella Wren Clary: Saphron and Terra's son, and Jaune's nephew.Vol. 6, Ch. 7 His cries are capable of delivering powerful sound waves.Vol. 6, Ch. 10

Antagonists

Salem's Inner Circle

Voiced by: Jen TaylorVol. 1 credits, Natalie Van Sistine (Paladins: Champions of the Realm) / Kikuko Inoue

Known as the Mysterious Narrator prior to her formal introduction, Salem was a human who rebelled against the gods for not reviving her beloved Ozma and cursing her with immortality. Seeking death, Salem jumped into a Grimm pit which turned her into a human-Grimm hybrid.Vol. 6, Ch. 3 It is now assumed that she seeks to divide humanity and turn them against each other so the gods would deem them unworthy when summoned back with the Relics and wipe them out, herself included, but does not disclose it to her subordinates. Salem also claims to be responsible for Summer's fate.Vol. 7, Ch. 11 and Vol. 9, Ch. 4

Her name is based on the town of Salem, Massachusetts, infamous for its witch trials, and alludes to the Wicked Witch from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Voiced by: Jessica NigriVol. 1 credits / Yūko Kaida

Salem's right-hand woman whose Semblance, "Scorching Caress", allows her to heat objects and manipulate their shape. Her original weapon was Midnight, a pair of blades that combine into a bow, which she discarded after becoming the Fall Maiden, which enabled her to conjure weapons at will. Originally an orphan from Mistral, Cinder was adopted and brought to Atlas but was forced to become a slave at the Glass Unicorn hotel by her stepmother.

Cinder is an allusion to Cinderella.

Voiced by: Christopher SabatVol. 4 credits / Tōru Ōkawa

A disgraced Atlesian scientist, his main weapon is a twenty-bullet revolver while using his rings to both hack into networks and use hard-light Dust as a shield. Vol. 7, Ch. 10–11 Watts served alongside Pietro, is an old acquaintance of Jacques and was the head of the Paladin project. Seeking revenge against Ironwood for preferring Pietro's P.E.N.N.Y. project, Watts faked his death during the Paladin incident and eventually joined Salem.Vol. 7, Ch. 2, 4, 7 & 9 He was left for dead in the fall of Atlas by Cinder.Vol. 8, Ch. 14

Cinder's faction

Roman Torchwick

Voiced by: Gray G. Haddock (Volumes 1–3, Chibi)Vol. 1 credits, Chris Wehkamp (Ice Queendom–present), Billy Kametz (Volume 9) / Shinichiro Miki

An orange-haired crime lord whom Ruby fights in the series' first episode, armed with the Melodic Cudgel, a cane which doubles as a firearm and grappling gun. Roman was born in Mistral and was left in an orphanage when he was young, causing him to have a low opinion about life and its ethics. Roman eventually became a thief in Mistral's lower parts where he was forced to join the Spiders, but eventually leaves for Vale and takes over its criminal underworld and later recruited by Cinder to aid them with their plans in Vale. Roman died in the fall of Beacon.Vol. 3, Ch. 11

His attire is 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.

Neopolitan

Voiced by: Casey Lee Williams (BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle) / Konomi Fujimura

Born Trivia Vanille and often nicknamed "Neo", is an associate of Roman with heterochromic eyes that change color between pink, brown, and white depending on her mood, while her hair is pink and brown with streaks of white. Neo has a parasol called Hush; containing a hidden blade in its handle, it is capable of blocking powerful blasts. Her illusion-based Semblance, "Overactive Imagination", has a variety of uses, from physical illusions to disguises for herself.Vol. 2, Ch. 4 & Vol. 3, Ch. 1 Trivia was the daughter of a rich family in Vale, but was kept in isolation for most of her childhood as her parents considered her useless because of her heterochromia as well as the fact that she was mute which they believed would make it impossible for her to marry someone of wealth. After meeting and befriending Roman Torchwick, she aids him in taking over city's criminal underworld and adopts the name Neopolitan after an imaginary friend she had which she later realized was a repressed version of her true self. After Roman's death, Neo blames Cinder and Ruby but teams up with the former because of their shared hatred against the latter, but is later betrayed by her. After seemingly getting her revenge against Ruby, Neo loses her sense of purpose,Vol. 9, Ch. 7 but after helping team RWBY and Jaune kill the Curious Cat, Neo begins to make peace with Roman's death and the heroes, consuming a leaf that will eventually heal her and make her better.Vol. 9, Ch. 10

Dr. Merlot

Voiced by: Dave Fennoy

A scientist and former colleague of Ozpin before they drifted apart due to Merlot's obsession of understanding the Grimm and improve on their design. Merlot established Merlot Industries in the Mountain Glenn settlement, being the cause of its failure when he had his subordinates attract Grimm for use in their experiments. But Merlot survived and in RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, which takes place between Volumes 2 and 3 of the series, continued his research on an island where he created mutant variants until Team RWBY's interference forces him to self-destruct his laboratory, his fate currently a mystery. Dr. Merlot is an allusion to Dr. Moreau.

Lady Beatrix Browning

The Headmisterss of Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls, who secretly is an agent for Spider in Vale, with her school being a cover for training assassins. She was exposed by Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan.

White Fang

The White Fang is an organization composed of persecuted Faunus fighting for civil rights like those committed by the Schnee Dust Company using their people for labor, originally established by Ghira Belladonna as a peaceful civil disobedience group. But when he stepped down five years prior to the beginning of the series and is succeeded by Sienna Khan, the White Fang became a terrorist cell under the gradual influence of Adam Taurus who staged a coup and killed Sienna before the organization became fragmented in the aftermath of the Battle of Haven, when he killed many of the remaining members as well.

Adam Taurus Voiced by: Garrett Hunter/ Yūichi Nakamura: A red-haired, half-blind, and scarred man with bull horns and Blake's former boyfriend and mentor turned archenemy in the "Black" trailer. When he was introduced in the series, he was revealed in Volume 3 as the leader of a White Fang splinter group based in Vale, and was coerced into working for Cinder to destroy Beacon and later Haven. He is the one who brutally sliced off Yang's arm during the Fall of Beacon. After his attempt to blow up Haven failed, he murdered the remaining White Fang members when they turn on him for his ruthlessness. Alone, Adam began stalking Blake, and after a prolonged fight with her and Yang, was stabbed by them and then fell to his death.Vol. 6, Ch. 12 Adam is based on The Beast from Beauty and the Beast, with elements of Gaston from the 1991 film.

White Fang Lieutenant Voiced by: Gray G. HaddockVol. 2 credits / Kenji Nomura: A higher-ranking White Fang member under Adam who works with Roman Torchwick during Volume 2, armed with a chainsaw-like sword which he uses during his battle against Weiss on the train towards Vale. After winning the fight, Blake intervenes to rescue her and escape. What happened to him after the train crash is unknown, as he is not seen nor heard from again.Vol. 2, Ch. 11

Sienna Khan Voiced by: Monica Rial: The former High Leader of the White Fang who has tiger ears, succeeding Ghira after he stepped down.Vol. 5, Ch. 3 Her weapon is Cerberus Whip, a chain whip with three detachable Dust blades, Her Semblance, "Grudge", makes her stronger, faster and more vicious when her foes' Auras are weakened and broken.

Corsac and Fennec Albain Voiced by: Derek Mears and Mike McFarland: Fox Faunus brothers who represent the White Fang in Menagerie.Vol. 4, Ch. 5 Corsac is taller with a gray fox tail, and Fennec is shorter with light brown fox ears. During their mutiny against Blake's parents, Fennec dies and Corsac is arrested.Vol. 5, Ch. 8–10

The Crown

The Crown is an organization based in Vacuo. They serve as the major antagonists in the RWBY novels After the Fall and Before the Dawn.

Jax and Gillian Asturias Twin siblings who are the founding leaders of the Crown, seeking to destroy Vacuo's government and restore it to a monarchy under their rule. Jax possesses a mind control Semblance while Gillian's Semblance enables her to augment others with Aura she siphoned from people, the latter's Semblance being the cause of their mother's death at childbirth with Jax being born frail and dependent on his sister. Raised by their father to be xenophobic towards foreigners and believing they were descended from Vacuo's first king Malik the Sunderer, the twins dropped out from Shade Academy along with their teammates Rosa Schwein and Argento Pocoron to establish Crown and form an army of brainwashed super soldiers. They are captured after Gillian surrenders in order to save Jax.

Carmine Esclados A veteran Huntress who is the main antagonist of RWBY: After the Fall, armed with sai and possessing a telekinesis Semblance she uses to manipulate her weapons and local weather patterns. She was originally from Atlas before she transferred to Vacuo and graduated Shade Academy, hired alongside her partner Bertilak Celadon by the Asturias twins to traffick people with highly potent Semblances before they are captured by Team CFVY.

Other Antagonists

Hei Xiong The leader of the Xiong family, the dominant crime syndicate in Vale and the father of Junior, who died in a gang war between his organization and Spider started by Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan.

Hei "Junior" Xiong Voiced by: Jack Shannon Pattillo / Katsuya Miyamoto: 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, who initially recruited Junior's minions for his early dust robberies before replacing the henchmen with White Fang members.Yellow Trailer, Vol. 1, Ch. 1, & Vol. 2, Ch. 4 His name means "black bear" in Chinese, with his nickname alluding to the baby bear from Goldilocks.

Melanie and Miltiades "Miltia" Malachite Voiced by: Maggie Tominey / Aya Suzaki: A pair of black-haired twins who work for Junior. They are the daughters of gangster leader, Lil' Miss Malachite. Melanie fights with bladed heels while Miltia utilizes a pair of claws.Yellow Trailer They are altered designs of the first design of Ruby and Weiss, and they allude to the story of Snow White and Rose Red.

Jimmy and Carmel Vanille Neo's parents, her father was the City Manager of Vale and secretly a mole for the Xiong family, while her mother was a graduate of Lady Browning's school and served as a spy on the Xiong family for Spider. They both were killed in the gang war between the Xiong family and Spider.

Lil' Miss Malachite Voiced by: Luci Christian: The leader of a Mistral gang known as Spider, whose members have a spider tattoo, possessing a sixth sense that allows her to predict the current whereabouts of others. When approached by Cinder for the location of Ruby and her friends in Volume 6, Malachite withheld the information out of curiosity over who would ask for Cinder.Vol. 6, Ch. 2 Her hunch is later proven true when hired by Neo.Vol. 6, Ch. 5 She is also the mother of the twins Melanie and Miltia.Vol. 6 Commentary She is an allusion of Little Miss Muffet.

Jacques Schnee Voiced by: Jason Douglas / Madoka Shiga: The husband of Willow, the father of Weiss, Winter, and Whitley, the son-in-law of Nicholas, and the former head to the Schnee Dust Company. His surname was "Gelée" before he married into the Schnee family, priding himself in maintaining the family's good name at any cost. While Jacques brought great success to the SDC after convinced his father-in-law Nicholas to let him take over the company, some of the practices he established to maintain the SDC have been considered controversial.WoR The actions of the White Fang stating attacks on SDC over poor labor practices involving Faunus employees gradually plays a part in Jacques's strained relation with Weiss,Vol. 1, Ch. 15 with their family irreparably broken when Jacques admits to Willow that he married her only for the Schnee name during Weiss' tenth birthday.Vol. 5, Ch. 8 Jacques allied himself with Watts against Ironwood, but his betrayal is exposed which leads to his arrest and death.Vol. 7, Ch. 4, 6, 9 & Vol. 8, Ch. 13 The Dream version of Jacques, which takes on the form of "Big Nicholas," (a play-on name for the Big Brother) serves as the secondary antagonist of Ice Queendom. Jacques alludes to Jack Frost.

Fairy tales

Maidens

Maidens are women who are capable of wielding great magic, including control over the weather and natural elements, as well as being the only ones to access one of the four Relics each. Vol. 5, Ch. 1 The original Four Maidens, each named after the four seasons, were given their powers by Ozpin in one of his past lives. With each maiden's death, their magic is transferred to another woman whom they thought of, otherwise it will be random. Vol. 5, Ch. 7

Amber

Voiced by: Laura Bailey / Ayako Kawasumi

The previous Fall Maiden who is a skilled combatant armed with a staff with Dust crystals on each end and is capable of hand-to-hand combat. After Cinder's attack and siphoning her power mortally weakened her, her body was placed on a life support in Beacon's Vault, Ozpin resolved to transfer Amber's remaining powers and soul Pyrrha. Vol. 3, Ch. 6–7 But Amber is killed by Cinder as the process commenced. Vol. 3, Ch. 11

Fria

Voiced by: Luci Christian

The previous Winter Maiden who was placed on life support at an Atlesian medical facility due to her old age. Fria was visited only by Winter who meant to be her successor. Before her passing, Fira gave her powers to Penny instead of Winter. Vol. 7, Ch. 13 Fria alludes to the character Blue Fairy from the tale Pinocchio.

Deities and Relic Beings

The creators of Remnant were two deity brothers, who were the firstborns of the Tree in Ever After. When the Jabberwalker began its killings spree, the brothers quarreled with each other over the balance of life they disrupted. But the Tree sent them away because their creations were too much in Ever After.Vol. 9, Ch. 10 In Remnant, the brothers created humanity together on the foundation of creation, destruction, knowledge and choice. When Salem tried to have them resurrect Ozma, the brothers curse her with immortality as punishment. When she led a human rebellion against the brothers, the God of Darkness destroys all of humanity except for Salem, and the brothers left Remnant while leaving behind the four Relics as a beacon to summon them to judge the new race of humans that came to be in their absence.Vol. 6, Ch. 3

Deities

God of Light Voiced by: Chase McCaskill: The eldest deity brother, the first to refuse Salem's request to resurrect Ozma as it would disrupt natural order and cursed her with immortality after she used his brother to commit the deed. Following his brother wiping out the humans, the God of Light grants Ozma the ability to reincarnate to guide the new race of humans while also warning him to be wary of Salem and creating the four Relics as a means to summon him and his brother back to Remnant.Vol. 6, Ch. 3 After seeing Jinn's vision, Maria deduces that the power of the silver-eyed warriors comes from the God of Light.Vol. 6, Ch. 8

God of Darkness Voiced by: Bruce DuBose: The younger of the deity brothers who both created the Grimm and granted magic to humans. When he resurrects Ozma at Salem's behest before learning he was her second choice following a brief fight with the God of Light, the God of Darkness joins his brother in cursing Salem and later wipes out humanity when Salem turned them on the brothers. The God of Darkness shatters the moon when leaving Remnant with his brother.Vol. 6, Ch. 3

Relic Beings

Jinn Voiced by: Colleen Clinkenbeard: The being within the Relic of Knowledge, summoned by whoever says her name while holding it, freezing time for her and her summoner during that duration. Jinn can answer three questions once a century, only able to answer events that had or are occurring as a manifestation of knowledge.Vol. 6, Ch. 1–2

Ever After

The Ever After is an alternate world where Team RWBY, Jaune, and Neo have fallen into during the events of Volume 9. It is heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland. In-universe, it serves as the setting for the fairy tale, The Girl Who Fell Through the World.

AlyxVoiced by: Shara Kirby: A girl from Vacuo and the main character of The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Her weapon of choice was a dagger. According to Ozpin, she was said to run away from her problems, and instead of learning her lesson, she only spread her failure. She and her brother Lewis ended up in the Ever After with her tendencies becoming worse than the descriptions of the Tale. Alyx promised the Curious Cat to take them to remnant, but after reflecting in the Tree decided to stay behind and make up for the harm she did in there, but was killed by Curious Cat for breaking her promise. Alyx alludes to Alice, while her brother is named after Lewis Carroll.

Little Voiced by: Luci Christian: A mouse Ruby encounters when she first enters the Ever After. They then join Team RWBY as their guide, though they are not always helpful as they tend to sleep. Little is crushed by Neo while trying to save Ruby, but ascends into a bigger mouse that Ruby names Somewhat. Alludes to the Dormouse and Stuart Little.

The Herbalist Voiced by: Christopher Guerrero: A caterpillar-like individual who lives in the mushroom-like acre of the Ever After. Using incense, he has Team RWBY confront past versions of themselves.Vol. 9, Ch. 4 The Herbalist is later reborn as a butterfly after his ascension.Vol. 9, Ch. 9 Alludes to the Caterpillar.

Blacksmith Voiced by: Kimlinh Tran: The avatar of the Tree who appears as a blacksmith. When Afterans ascend, she turns them into whoever or whatever they choose to be.Vol. 9, Ch. 10

The Jabberwalker Voiced by: Richard Norman: A masked purple creature that wanders the Ever After. It speaks in single words at a time. The Jabberwalker can prevent the denizens of Ever After from reincarnating by eating them, as it was intended by the Deity Brothers to be the destroyer of the Cat's creations.Vol. 9, Ch. 5 & 10 It alludes to the Jabberwocky.

DC

In March 2021, DC Comics published a crossover comic series, RWBY x Justice League, featuring several iconic superheroes from the Justice League. However, these characters are Remnant parallels from their DC counterparts. In Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, the Justice League are the originals who, in Part One, were transported to a digital simulation of Remnant and placed inside the bodies of teenagers, with some of them turning into Faunus. In DC/RWBY, Remnant begins to merge with the DC universe, granting its inhabitants Semblances.

Justice League

Clark Kent / Superman Voiced by: Chandler Riggs and Travis Willingham: In the comics, Clark is a farm boy from Patch who helps Taiyang with farming. His Semblance, "Yellow Sun Empowerment", gives him super strength, speed, heat vision and flight. According to Clark, his Semblance draws power from the sun and he cannot use it during nighttime. In the movies, Clark uses a hand-held hammer in battle.

Diana Prince / Wonder Woman Voiced by: Natalie Alyn Lind and Laura Bailey: In the comics, Diana is an automaton created by her Faunus mothers. Her Semblance, "Weapon Summoning", calls forth her lasso, tiara and gauntlets. In DC/RWBY, her semblance, Divine Healing allows her to heal mortal wounds.

Bruce Wayne / Batman Voiced by: Nat Wolff and Troy Baker: In the comics, Bruce is a wealthy bat Faunus hailing from Atlas. His weapon, Batwing, is a double headed battle axe. His Semblance, "Detective Mode", gives him the ability to detect patterns and unlock puzzles. In the movies, Bruce has bat wings instead of ears. In DC/RWBY, his Semblance is Precognition which allows him to see his opponent's move in combat before they make them.

Barry Allen / The Flash Voiced by: David Errigo Jr and David Dastmalchian: In the comics, Barry is a tortoise Faunus with green scales on his shoulders. His Semblance, "Constant Speed" makes him super fast and leaves a trail of lightning. In the movies, Barry is a human fighting with a spear. He was possessed by Kilg%re in Part One.

Jesse Quick A fox Faunus. In the comics she serves as a bait in Barry's place.

Victor Stone / Cyborg Voiced by: Tru Valentino: A cyborg. In the comics, he was an astronaut that was involved in a space program accident which he miraculously survived. Victor holds a grudge against the SDC and steals their technology for his prosthetic parts.

Arthur Curry A shark Faunus with fins on his elbows and back. His Semblance enables him to communicate with animals through telepathy. In the past, Arthur saved Clark's life in a Dust mine.

Allies

Alfred Pennyworth Batman's butler who can create anything at will with his semblance.

Zatanna and Constantine A couple with actual magical powers, with the former gaining a semblance similar to Weiss.

Lois Lane Superman's lover whose Semblance allows her to see through lies.

Supervillains

Starro An alien creature that arrived on Remnant two decades prior to the events of RWBY x Justice League crossover comic series, and has gradually been taking over with an interest in powerful Semblances.

Kilg%re Voiced by: Tru Valentino: An AI from the DC Universe who, in Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, trapped the Justice League as well as teams RWBY and JNR in a Simulation of Remnant with the collaboration of Arthur Watts from Remnant and later helped him escape to the Earth in order to conquer it.

Lex Luthor Superman's archenemy who somehow arrived to Remnant in DC/RWBY, and made a deal with Salem to open a way for the Grimm into his world, with his goal being the people of his world gaining Semblances and rendering the superheroes obsolete, with his being opening portals and the villains who had negative emotions for too long controlling the Grimm. The process went out of control and Remnant began to absorb the DC Universe.

Barbara Ann Minerva / Cheetah A human-cheetah hybrid who seeks the destruction of anything legendary.

The Joker Batman's archenemy who fuses with a Nuckelavee and becomes the source of the Remnant consumption of the DC Universe.

Mark Mardon / Weather Wizard Voiced by Travis Willingham: one of Flash's Rogue's gallery who helped the Justice League and team RWBY stop Kilg%re and Watts from unleashing Grimm into the universe.

Sam Scrudder / Mirror Master Voiced by Troy Baker: one of Flash's Rogue's gallery who helped the Justice League and team RWBY stop Kilg%re and Watts from unleashing Grimm into the universe.

Waylon Jones / Killer Croc Voiced by Maxwell Friedman: one of Batman's Rogue's gallery who helped the Justice League and team RWBY stop Kilg%re and Watts from unleashing Grimm into the universe.

Works cited notes

^ "Vol." is the shortened form for "Volume" and refers to the DVD volume or season for the series. "Ch." is shortened for "Chapter" and refers to the episode number within the volume, with Vol. 1 having 16 and Vol. 2–4 having 12 chapters. "WoR" refers to "World of Remnant", an encyclopedic series of short videos that reveals more information about the world of RWBY. "WoR" has been incorporated in the RWBY volumes since Volume 2. See List of RWBY episodes for more details.