List of ''RWBY'' characters

Main

     = Main cast (credited, or appears in every episode for the season)

     = Recurring cast (5+ appearances in season)

     = Guest cast (1-4 appearances in season)

Recurring / Guest

     = Recurring cast (5+ appearances in season)

     = Guest cast (1-4 appearances in season)

Ruby Rose

Lindsay Jones, voice of Ruby Rose

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

The title character of the show is a 15-year-old girl who typically dresses in a black dress and a red cloak. She wields Crescent Rose, a scythe that can transform into a high caliber sniper rifle.^[10] Her Semblance is called "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}

As her mother Summer Rose died when she was very young, Ruby is raised on the island of Patch by her father Taiyang and older half-sister Yang Xiao Long.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 1; Vol. 2, Ch. 6} Her uncle Qrow Branwen teaches her how to wield a scythe and fight properly, with Ruby stating that she was "complete garbage" before he took her in as his pupil.^{Vol.1, Ch. 14} At the start of the series, when she fights off a group of robbers at a Dust shop, she impresses Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, and is allowed to transfer from Signal Academy to Beacon two years early, entering in the same class as Yang,^{Vol. 1, Ch. 1} with the goal of becoming a Huntress.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 9-10} Inspired by the heroic fairy tales Yang read to her as a child, Ruby strives to become a Huntress to protect the world from evil. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 3} Although she is socially awkward at first, obsessed with weapons and dependent on her sister,^{Vol. 1, Ch. 2-3} she becomes friends with her classmates, and exhibits skills and qualities that eventually place her as the leader of Team RWBY.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 8}

After the Fall of Beacon, Ruby learns from her uncle that she and her mother come from a line of powerful silver-eyed warriors who have been feared by Grimm since ancient times. A few months later, Ruby travels with the remaining members of Team JNPR to Haven Academy in Mistral in order to find leads on their enemies. Together, they informally call themselves Team RNJR (pronounced "ranger").^{[11][12]Vol. 4} During their travels, Ruby is targeted by Tyrian, but she evades capture with help from her uncle.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6-7} In Volume 5, Ruby trains in hand-to-hand combat under Ozpin's guidance.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} She also unexpectedly reunites with Weiss and Yang.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 6} During the Battle of Haven, Ruby activates her silver eyes again, affecting Cinder momentarily, but she gets knocked out by Emerald. After she recovers and she and her allies win the battle, Ruby reunites with Blake.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-14}

Ruby alludes to the fairy tale character Little Red Riding Hood.^[13]

Weiss Schnee

Kara Eberle, voice of Weiss Schnee

• Voiced By: Kara Eberle^{[9]Vol. 1 credits}

Weiss is the second member of Team RWBY. The 17-year-old girl has long white hair and a noticeable scar over her left eye, which she received from a fight with an armored knight.^{White Trailer} Her weapon is a Dust revolver/rapier named Myrtenaster. The sheath can create more than one change of elemental Dust, 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 is unique in the way that it is the hereditary Semblance of the Schnee Family^{Vol. 3, Ch. 4}, consisting of "Glyphs" that have a variety of push and pull effects, and the ability to summon foes that were previously defeated by the Semblance user. Weiss has had trouble using her summoning ability which she, despite advancements in the Volume 3 finale^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11}, does not seem to fully control.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 4}

Weiss is an heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, a powerful and rich corporation based in the kingdom of Atlas that is infamous for its sometimes shady business dealings, dangerous practices, and the 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.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 15} Weiss chose becoming a Huntress and going to school in a different kingdom over taking a job at SDC. Her goal is to restore her family's honor, as she does not agree with her father's business methods.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 9-10} At the start of the show, she was shown as self-centered, standoffish, and an obnoxious know-it-all, but she has since matured somewhat over the course of the show, repeatedly showing great trust in her teammates and even protecting the Faunus Velvet Scarlatina during battle.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11} Weiss greatly admires her older sister Winter, but has a more distant relationship with the rest of her family^{Vol. 3-4} She had a crush on Neptune Vasilias during Season 2, but gets angry with him when he flirts with other girls.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2}

Following the fall of Beacon in the Volume 3 finale, Weiss is taken back to Atlas by her father, the head of the SDC, Jacques Schnee.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, her relationship with her father is still strained. She is shown to be close to the family butler, Klein, while acting more reserved towards her brother Whitley.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} Weiss performs at a charity event to improve the image of the company, by order of her father, but things go sour when she loses her temper at the cocktail party and accidentally summons a Boarbatusk at one of the guests.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6} Weiss subsequently loses her inheritance of the SDC to Whitley and is confined to the Schnee manor by her father.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 7} However, after mastering her summoning,^{Vol. 4, Ch. 9} Weiss escapes from her confinement with Klein's help, stowing away in an airship to find her older sister in Mistral.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11-12}

In Volume 5, Weiss is captured by Raven Branwen after the cargo ship crash lands in the outskirts of Anima.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} However, she breaks free from her confinement and reunites with Yang.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} Eventually, the two of them make their way to Mistral and reunite with Ruby.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 6} During the Battle of Haven, Weiss is easily overpowered by Vernal and is impaled at her lower right torso by Cinder, but her life is saved by Jaune amplifying her aura with his Semblance, allowing her to heal.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-13}

Weiss alludes to Snow White, as her name is German for "White Snow".^[13] Character designer Ein Lee said that Weiss was her favorite character among the four main girls to draw: "She’s so delicate, and I love princess types."^[2]

Blake Belladonna

Arryn Zech, voice of Blake Belladonna

• Voiced By: Arryn Zech^{[9]Vol. 1 credits}

Blake, the third member of Team RWBY, is a black-haired Faunus with cat ears and, at the start of the series, 17 years old. She wields the Gambol Shroud, a "variant ballistic chain scythe" according to Oum^[14] with a sharpened sheath that has a pistol in the hilt, which is also attached to a long ribbon. Blake uses blade and sheath in attacking combinations, while also using the momentum of the blade being anchored to an object to maneuver herself with the ribbon, even in midair. 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.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 8}

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 disregard for the lives of innocent people shown by her then-partner, Adam Taurus^{Black Trailer}, later joining Beacon Academy to become a Huntress.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 2} Up until Volume 4^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3}, 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, she thinks of it a racism to Faunus .^{Vol. 2, Ch. 2} Along with her cat ears, Blake also at times exhibits other examples of feline behavior such as craving to eat fish^{Vol. 3, Ch. 1} and, at first, wanting nothing to do with Ruby and Yang's pet dog Zwei.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 8}

After the Fall of Beacon, during which Yang was severely injured by Adam, Blake runs away from her team, without telling anyone that she is leaving or where she is going.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, she returns to her homeland, the Faunus continent Menagerie, to "sort some things out". She unwillingly accepts Sun's company.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3} After her arrival in Menagerie, it is revealed that her parents, who she hasn't seen in some time, are very influential, her father being the current Chieftain of Menagerie and a former leader of the then non-extremist White Fang.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5} Blake tries to avoid anything related to the White Fang to spend time with her family, but things turn for the worse when Sun is severely injured by Ilia Amotila, an old associate of hers in the White Fang.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 8-9} As he recovers, Blake reveals that she ran away from Team RWBY because she doesn't want anyone getting hurt because of her. But Sun helps her realize her mistake, stating that she's only hurting her friends even more by pushing them away. After Ghira reveals that Adam is planning to take control of the White Fang and attack Haven, Blake vows to take the organization back with or without her team.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11}

In Volume 5, Blake helps her father in his endeavors to rally the people of Menagerie to protect Haven from the White Fang. She also decides to try and save Ilia from Adam's influence.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 5} After Ilia has her nearly captured in an ambush, Blake fights her old friend and convinces her that what she is doing is wrong. With her family surviving the White Fang's attack, she rallies the people to stop Adam from tarnishing the name of the White Fang and defend Haven.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8-10} In the Battle of Haven, Blake leads the people of Menagerie and stops Adam from destroying the school. After successfully defending Haven, Blake reunites with her teammates.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13 & 14}

Blake is arguably an allusion to both Belle and the beast from Beauty and the Beast.^[13]

Yang Xiao Long

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

• Voiced By: Barbara Dunkelman^{[9]Vol. 1 credits}

Yang, the fourth member of Team RWBY, is a blonde-haired girl and, at 17 years of age, Ruby's older half-sister. She wields twin shotgun gauntlets called Ember Celica.^[15] After she loses her right arm (and thus the gauntlet) in Volume 3, her replacement bionic arm is installed with a shotgun mechanism at the wrist.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 6} 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 9-10}

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 betweens Volume 3 and 4, Yang is still on Patch, trying to get used to life with one arm. She shows signs of PTSD, having visions and nightmares of Adam cutting her arm.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3-4} 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 the arm on and resumes training with her father.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} While sparring, Yang learns to fight without relying on her Semblance as much as she did before, and learns more about her mother from Taiyang.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 9} In the volume finale, she arrives on the continent of Anima and heads for Mistral to find Ruby.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12}

In Volume 5, Yang's personality has drastically changed to a more serious tone, and her left arm frequently shakes after a fight and when she is emotionally stressed. She approaches Raven and asks her to use her Semblance to teleport her to Ruby and Qrow, and unexpectedly reunites with Weiss.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} Despite her mother's attempts to convince her to forget about Ruby and join the tribe of bandits, Yang's request is ultimately granted and she and Weiss reunite with Ruby in Mistral.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 6} She is still angry at Blake for leaving her alone after the Fall of Beacon, but calms down thanks to Weiss' counsel.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8} In the Battle of Haven, Yang confronts Raven at the vault and successfully has her mother relinquish the Relic of Knowledge. Reuniting with her teammates, Yang forgives Blake and welcomes her back into the team.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13 & 14}

Yang is an allusion to Goldilocks; her name in Chinese is 陽小龍 and translates to "sun little dragon".^[13] 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.^[16]

Jaune Arc

Miles Luna, voice of Jaune Arc

• Voiced By: 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 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}.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13} 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. 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 has Crocea Mors upgraded with accents from Pyrrha's old armor, and wears a sash around his waist in her memory,^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} and continues to be heavily affected by her death. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2 & 8} In Volume 5, Jaune works under Ozpin's guidance to find out what his Semblance is.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} In the Battle of Haven, upon being confronted by Cinder Fall, Jaune fights her to avenge Pyrrha but is easily overpowered. After Weiss is fatally impaled by Cinder, Jaune unlocks his Semblance and saves her from certain death.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-13}

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

Nora Valkyrie

• Voiced By: Samantha Ireland,^{Vol. 1 credits} Kristen McGuire (Young)

An orange-haired student at Beacon who carries Magnhild, a war hammer that can be converted into a grenade launcher. Her Semblance 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, almost always staying upbeat. But she displays a serious side when necessary, as when she tries to protect Ruby from Tyrian and when she calms Ren down during their battle with the Nuckelavee.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6 & 12} 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 a flashback in Volume 4, it's revealed that Nora was living on the streets of Kuroyuri when she was a child, presumably an orphan, and when the village was attacked by Grimm, Ren saved her, beginning their friendship.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 10} In the end of Volume 3, Nora goes with Ruby, Jaune and Ren to Haven.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} 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, voice of Pyrrha Nikos

• Voiced By: Jen Brown^{Vol. 1 credits}

A red-haired student with a long ponytail and bright green eyes. She wielded Miló, a javelin that could 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 Huntsmen and Huntresses, 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, Ozpin selects her to be the next Fall Maiden, but she becomes frightened of combining her life with that of another and not being herself again.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 6 & 8} When Cinder steals the Fall Maiden's power, Pyrrha battles her but is killed.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12}. She later appears in a training video for Jaune, where she nearly tells Jaune she loves him.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2}

Monty Oum stated that Pyrrha was given her name for her red hair,^[18] and her full name is a reference to a Pyrrhic victory.^[19] She also alludes to Achilles from Homer's The Iliad.

Lie Ren

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

• Voiced By: Monty Oum (Volumes 1–2),^{Vol. 1 credits} Neath Oum (Volume 3–present),^[20] Apphia Yu (Young)

A black-haired student at Beacon who dual wields machine pistols with attached blades, collectively called StormFlower. His Semblance masks negative emotion, which allows him and his targets to avoid detection from Grimm.^[21] Ren lost his parents during a Grimm attack on Kuroyuri, the village he lived in.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 10} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In the finale of Volume 4, he avenges his parents by killing the Nuckelavee that destroyed his home.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12}

While his name in Chinese (猎人) translates to "huntsman", Ren (蓮) is also Japanese for "lotus", which is his emblem.

Beacon Academy of Vale

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}

• 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 alludes to the Cardinal of Winchester who presided over the Trial of Joan of Arc.^[22]
• Russel Thrush (Shane Newville):^{Vol. 1 credits} A green-haired student who wields a pair of Dust-daggers. as a shout out to Will Scarlet. His last name comes from the thrush bird.
• Dove Bronzewing: A light brown-haired student who fights with a long sword that can fire bullets. He is named after the bird often used as a symbol for peace, and his last name is a reference to a pigeon of the same name.
• Sky Lark: A dark blue-haired student whose weapon is a halberd. His full name is derived from the larks of the genus Alauda.

Team CFVY

Ashley Jenkins, voice of Coco Adel

Caiti Ward, voice of Velvet Scarlatina

Team CFVY (pronounced "coffee") consists of second-year Beacon Academy students. Velvet Scarlatina first appears in Volume 1, ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 11}, while the others begin appearing in Volume 2.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 8}

• Coco Adel (Ashley Jenkins): A fashionably-dressed girl with accessories that seem very military-minded including a belt lined with bullets. Her weapon is a handbag that can transform into a minigun. Her name is theorized to be based on Coco Chanel.
• Fox Alistair: A young, black, blind man with white eyes, who wears an orange vest, his weapons are a pair of wrist-mounted blades.
• Velvet Scarlatina (Caiti Ward):^{Vol. 1 credits} A brown-haired Faunus with rabbit ears at Beacon Academy. Monty has described her combat style to be very mage-like, along with being very agile. 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.^[23] Rooster Teeth held a fan contest to design her combat uniform, the result of which was announced on March 6, 2014.^[24] Her name is derived from The Velveteen Rabbit.
• Yatshuhashi Daichi (Joe MacDonald): The final member of team CFVY, Yatsuhashi is a tall male in a green one-sleeved robe with a long sword. His name comes from the Japanese treat of the same name, and his name was revealed in a series of tweets of the treat by Monty culminating in a singular image of Yatsuhashi Kengyo along with the phrase "You'll figure it out".^[25]

Haven Academy of Mistral

Team SSSN

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

Each member of Team SSSN (pronounced "sun") has a Big Bang motif.^[26][27]

• Sun Wukong (Michael Jones):^{Vol. 1 credits} A blond-haired Faunus with a monkey tail who stowed away on a ship arriving in Vale. 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. 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} Even though he attends the academy in Mistral, he's actually a native of Vacuo. In Volume 4, Sun follows Blake without his team because he believed that she will be fighting the White Fang. Upon discovering that she is instead going home, he decides to accompany her to protect her from harm.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3} In Menagerie, Sun quickly bonds with Kali, Blake's mother, but constantly leaves bad impressions with Ghira, Blake's father.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5 & 8} After he gets injured by Ilia Amotila, Sun learns the reasons of Blake's departure from her team. He criticizes her, saying that she is only hurting her friends even more by pushing them away.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} In Volume 5, Sun aides the Belladonnas in rallying the people of Menagerie to defend Haven, though he is frustrated that no one is willing to do so.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 5} He later saves Blake from capture after she is ambushed by Ilia, and later fights the Albain brothers alongside Ghira.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8-10} In the Battle of Haven, Sun helps Blake in defending the school, and later encourages her to rejoin her team.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13 & 14} Sun alludes to the character of the same name from Journey to the West.
• Scarlet David (Gavin Free): A red-haired young man with a cape who wields a flintlock pistol and a cutlass as his weapons of choice. The handle of the pistol can be fired as a grappling hook. For some reason, he doesn't like sand in his shoes. He is based on the character Peter Pan, specifically from Peter Pan in Scarlet.
• Sage Ayana (Josh Ornelas): A green-haired and dark-skinned young man with tattoos and a long coat, and wields a large sword with Roman numerals on it. His name was confirmed via Monty's Twitter feed. Sage alludes to one of the fables by Aesop, though the exact character and tale are unknown.^[28] His outfit is an allusion to Taeyang of Big Bang.
• Neptune Vasilias (Kerry Shawcross): A member of Sun's team who has a large rifle that fires electricity and can turn into a guandao and trident. Although he has a cool image, he is unable to dance, which is a source of embarrassment for him,^{Vol. 2, Ch. 7} and has an intense fear of water.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} His appearance and outfit is styled after Big Bang member T.O.P..^[29]

Shade Academy of Vacuo

Atlas Academy of Atlas

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, and the two fight during the Battle of Beacon.

• 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 5} His name is taken from a joke commonly used in Rooster Teeth's gaming content division Achievement Hunter's series "Let's Play Minecraft".^[30]
• 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 5}

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.^[31] Based on an old photograph of her, Summer wore a white hooded cloak, similar to the red cloak Ruby would later wear. 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 6} 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 Long (Burnie Burns): Yang and Ruby's father. He is mentioned multiple times, but his name is not revealed until Volume 2, and a blurred image can be 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3} 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} Taiyang helps her learn how to win her battles without relying on her Semblance every time. He also opens up about Raven, stating that he sees her good qualities in Yang.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 9} When his daughter is about to leave, he asks her whether she is going after Raven or Ruby.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} In the finale of Volume 5, Taiyang is confronted by Raven.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} 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. Her Semblance allows her to create a portal to whoever she has a bond with,^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} and she has the ability to shapeshift into a raven thanks to Ozpin.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 6} As the Spring Maiden, Raven has magical control of the natural elements.^{Vol. 5, Ch.13} She was on the same team with Qrow, Taiyang, and Summer, but she disappeared just after her daughter, Yang, was born, to become the leader of the tribe of bandits that raised her and Qrow. 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} According to Taiyang, Raven's faults are what caused Team STRQ to break apart.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 9} As stated by Qrow, Raven is dangerous and has a world-view that he doesn't particularly agree with, and she communicates only when she sees fit.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 8} It is revealed in Volume 4 that Raven cares more about her tribe than her own daughter, and she firmly believes in the survival of the fittest. But in reality, Raven is fearful of Salem, though she is too stubborn to admit her cowardice.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 10 & 14} In Volume 2, Raven saves Yang from Neo before the latter could deal a fatal blow on her.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 11} 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, Raven and her tribe are responsible for the destruction of Shion village. She later meets with Qrow in Higanbana about whether or not Salem has one of the four Relics of the gods, and it is shown that she is angry at her brother for leaving the tribe.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} In Volume 5, Raven and her tribe capture Weiss Schnee after her cargo ship crash lands.^{Vol. 5, Ch.2} However, she lets the girl go when Yang arrives at her camp and demands to be taken to Ruby and Qrow.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} She attempts to persuade Yang to give up on joining Ruby in battling against Salem, but to no avail.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 6} Upon encountering Salem's followers, Raven demands her brother's death in exchange for having Vernal lead them to the Relic of Knowledge. But she plans to take the Relic for herself to ensure the tribe's survival, and later conspires with Lionheart to have Qrow and the Beacon students killed in an ambush.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 9 & 10} During the Battle of Haven, Raven allows Cinder's group to ambush the students and personally fights her brother. When Cinder impales Vernal to steal the Spring Maiden's powers, Raven reveals herself as the true Spring Maiden. After a fierce battle, Raven defeats Cinder and opens the vault to the Relic, but is later confronted by Yang. It is revealed that Raven killed the previous Spring Maiden after deeming her unable to control the power. She is criticized by Yang for her cowardice and hypocrisy, and is later forced to relinquish the Relic to avoid a confrontation with Salem. Raven tearfully apologizes to Yang as she leaves the vault and portals to Taiyang in Patch.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-14} She alludes to Huginn from Norse mythology.^[32]
• 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. Qrow taught Ruby how to wield the Crescent Rose, and along with her is the only one able to wield a scythe.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 1} 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. His Semblance brings misfortune to those around him, and unlike other Huntsmen, his is always active and uncontrollable.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 8} He also has the unique ability to shape shift into a crow, which was given to him by Ozpin.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12 & Vol. 5, Ch. 7} Qrow made his debut in Volume 3, where it's shown that he's a heavy drinker.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, Qrow continues to watch over the team discreetly 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} Qrow then quickly rushes to Ruby's aid and saves her from Tyrian, but is critically injured from the fight, having been poisoned by Tyrian's stinger and showing no signs of recovery.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6-11} In the finale, Qrow is brought to Mistral where he is treated and recovers. He then meets Oscar and gives him Ozpin's cane.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12} In Volume 5, Qrow is tasked by Ozpin to find Huntsmen who can protect the Relic of Knowledge. But to his surprise, there are no Huntsmen in Mistral.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3 & 6} In the Battle of Haven, Qrow is enraged with Raven and Lionheart's treachery and officially cuts his family ties with his sister as he battles her. In the aftermath, after he receives the Relic from Yang, Qrow is instructed by Ozpin to take it to Atlas.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11 & 14} He alludes to Muninn from Norse mythology.

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 a cane which he uses as a melee weapon that is capable of generating a force field which blocks attacks. Ozpin is a being who was cursed by the gods for failing to defeat Salem. Every time he dies, his soul reincarnates to a new like-minded host, retaining past memories and abilities.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3} One of his past incarnations was the mythical wizard who granted magic to the first Maidens with another being a king who fought through war.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 7} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12 - Vol. 4, Ch. 1} However, his Aura and soul are revealed to have combined with those of Oscar, his new reincarnation, and he urges the boy to go to Haven. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 7} In Volume 5, Ozpin tasks Qrow to find Huntsmen to protect the Relic of Knowledge, and takes it upon himself to train Team RNJR and Oscar to prepare them to fight Salem.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3} After the Relic is secured following the Battle of Haven, Ozpin has Oscar instruct Qrow to bring the Relic to Atlas.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} His name is a reference to the title character of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• 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 by Dr. Seuss.

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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} After receiving Winter's report from Mistral, Ironwood decides to officially close off Atlas' borders, not allowing anyone to enter or leave the Kingdom without his permission.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} Ironwood alludes to the Tin Woodman from The Wizard of Oz.^[33]
• 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 consists of "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} In Volume 4, Winter is in Mistral, reporting to Ironwood about the impending threat that is rising from the kingdom.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} But according to Vernal in Volume 5, Winter has returned to Atlas as Ironwood has closed the kingdom's borders.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3}

Schnee Household

• Jacques Schnee (Jason Douglas): The father of Weiss, Winter and Whitley, and the current head to the Schnee Dust Company. His surname was "Gelée" before he married into the Schnee family. He convinced his father-in-law, Nicholas, to let him take over the SDC. Jacques brought great success to the company, but at the cost of its soul.^WoR During Weiss' tenth birthday, Jacques revealed to his wife that he only married her for the Schnee family name, causing an irreparable break in the family.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} 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} But when Weiss causes commotion at the cocktail party, he severely punishes his daughter by disinheriting her, making Whitely the new heir to the SDC, and confining her to the Schnee manor. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6 & 7} Jacques alludes to Jack Frost.^[34]
• 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} After Weiss is disinherited by their father, Whitley reveals his true colors as a selfish schemer as he becomes the new heir to the SDC.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 7} Unlike Weiss and Winter, Whitley has had no Huntsman training, as he views them as useless and barbaric.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 9} Whitley means "white meadow".
• Klein Sieben (J. Michael Tatum):^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2 credits} The Schnee family butler. Klein is supportive of Weiss and is shown to deeply care for her.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} Near the end of Volume 4, Klein helps Weiss escape from the Schnee manor.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2}

Belladonna Household

• Ghira Belladonna (Kent Williams): 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5} Tall and imposing, Ghira loves and cares about Blake immensely, and is highly protective of her. He also has a hard time liking Sun, unlike his wife. After Blake and Sun's encounter with Ilia Amotila, Ghira examines her stolen scroll, finding Adam's Taurus' plans of overthrowing Sienna Khan and attacking Haven.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} In Volume 5, Ghira tries to rally the people of Menagerie to take the White Fang back from Adam and defend Haven.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3} He also defends his home from White Fang insurgents with help from Sun.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8-10} After successfully defending Haven, Ghira decides to form a new brotherhood of Faunus who want to create a better future.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13 & 14} His name could possibly be derived from Bagheera, a black panther from the classic story The Jungle Book.
• Kali Belladonna (Tara Platt): Ghira's wife and Blake's mother. Like her daughter, Kali has black Faunus cat ears. Upon meeting Sun, she takes a liking to him and quickly bonds with him.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5} Later on, Kali helps defend her home from White Fang insurgents.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8 & 10} During the Battle of Haven, she leads the police force to arrest Adam.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13} Kali is named after the Hindu goddess, and the name is Sanskrit for black.

Junior's faction

Jack Pattillo, voice of Hei "Junior" Xiong

• Hei "Junior" Xiong (Jack Shannon 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.^{Yellow Trailer} Later on in Volume 2, Yang visits him in his club again, hoping to get some lead on Torchwick's plans.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 4} His name means "black bear" in Chinese. Might be the small bear from Goldilocks, Yang being the Goldilocks.
• 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.^{Yellow Trailer} 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.^[35]

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} Their magic is given to them by Ozpin during his past life as a wizard.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 7} The first four Maidens are named after the four seasons.

• Amber (Laura Bailey): The former Fall Maiden, she wields a staff with Dust crystals on each end and is capable of hand-to-hand combat. 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 6-7} However, she is killed by Cinder before her powers could be transferred to Pyrrha, causing her powers to go into Cinder.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11}

Branwen Tribe

• Vernal: (Amber Lee Connors) Raven's right-hand woman and decoy for the title of the Spring Maiden. Her weapons are a pair of wind and fire wheels with guns attached inside. In her debut in Volume 5, Vernal tells Weiss that the tribe is planning on using her as a ransom for Jacques, and that her older sister has returned to Atlas.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3} Later on during the Battle of Haven, she engages Weiss in combat as per Raven's orders, and easily defeats her.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11} At the vault of the Relic of Knowledge, Vernal is impaled and killed by Cinder for the Maiden's power, only for her to be exposed as a decoy for Raven.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 12 & 13}
• Shay D. Mann (Clifford Chapin): A bandit from Raven's tribe. He encounters Yang at a gas station while drunk and is brutally punched by her.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 1} Shay then leads her to the tribe camp to ambush and plunder her but to no avail.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4} Later, while guarding the camp gates, he is confronted by Cinder's faction and Watts.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 7} His name is a play on the phrase "shady man".

Other supporting characters

• 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. His name is a play on the corgi Ein from the manga/anime series Cowboy Bebop.
• 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 Volumes 2 and 3, he operates a noodle stand on the Vytal Festival grounds.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 4, Vol. 3, Ch. 1}
• Tukson (Adam Ellis)^{Vol. 2 credits}: A puma Faunus with finger claws. He was part of the White Fang before deserting them to open a book shop in Vale. He planned on fleeing to Vacuo, but he is killed by Mercury and Emerald.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 1}
• Oscar Pine (Aaron Dismuke)^{Vol. 4 credits}: A young farm boy who appears in Volume 4 and lives with his aunt. After finishing his chores one day, he looks in the mirror, from which Ozpin's voice mysteriously communicates to him.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} Oscar's Aura and soul have combined with those of Ozpin's as he is the new reincarnation. Although Oscar is reluctant at first, he complies with Ozpin's request to head for Haven.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 7 & 10} Arriving in Mistral, he meets Qrow and receives Ozpin's cane.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12} In Volume 5, Oscar joins Ruby's group and shows that he can allow Ozpin to take control of his body for a limited time.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 1 & 3} He later trains alongside Team RNJR to strengthen his Aura and discover his Semblance.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 4}
• Li and An Ren (Kaiji Tang and Dawn M. Bennett): The parents of Lie Ren. They lived in Kuroyuri with their son, and Li was an archer. They were both killed when Grimm destroyed the town.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 10}
• Ilia Amitola (Cherami Leigh): A chameleon Faunus who is an old acquaintance of Blake's. Like the animal she is based on, she is capable of changing her skin color and eye color at will. She wields a rapier-like weapon that doubles as a whip that can give off an electrical charge. Before joining the White Fang, Ilia lived in the mining community in Mantle and was enrolled in an Atlas prep school by her parents. Her lack of apparent Faunus traits allowed her to blend in with the humans, but after her friends snickered about a mining accident involving Ilia's parents, she lost control of her emotions and attacked her classmates.^{Blake Character Short} She is first mentioned by the Albain brothers saying that she would be elated at Blake's return.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5} Later on, she is seen spying on the Belladonna household before being discovered by Blake and Sun. The two chase after her, although Ilia manages to severely injure Sun, and warns Blake that she should not have returned, before retreating.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 8-9} In Volume 5, Ilia is ordered by the Albain brothers to capture and bring Blake to Adam while her associates assassinate Ghira and Kali.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 5} While capturing Blake, Ilia reveals that she had romantic feelings for her, but was jealous when Blake was falling for Adam instead of her.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8} After Blake escapes her capture, Ilia fights her in an intense battle. But thanks to Blake's influence, Ilia eventually becomes disillusioned with her actions, and in the end joins Blake's side to defend Haven from the White Fang.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 9 & 10} In the Battle of Haven, Ilia prevents Adam from destroying the school by disarming his explosives.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13}
• Leonardo Lionheart (Daman Mills): The headmaster of Haven Academy, he is a Faunus with a lion's tail, and his weapon is a wrist-mounted shield that fires combined Dust projectiles. Near the end of Volume 4, he is seen conversing with Watts.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12} In Volume 5, it is confirmed that Lionheart is working for Salem out of fear, and he allows Raven and Cinder to ambush Qrow and the Beacon students during the Battle of Haven.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 10 & 11} When the tide turns against Salem's faction, Lionheart tries to run away but is killed by Salem's Seer.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} He is based on the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

Salem's faction

Jen Taylor, voice of Salem

Jessica Nigri, voice of Cinder Fall

Christopher Sabat, voice of Dr. Arthur Watts

Josh Grelle, voice of Tyrian Callows

• Cinder Fall (Jessica Nigri):^{[9]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. 2} Later, she conjures her weapon to take on different forms like a scimitar and spear.^{Vol. 5} 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 becoming feared by others, and the end goal of overthrowing Ozpin, as per her superior Salem's wishes.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 7} She leads a team with Mercury and Emerald and is Torchwick and Neo'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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11-12} In Volume 4, it is revealed that Ruby's power caused Cinder to lose her left eye and arm, and much of her voice, causing her to only speak in very meek, hoarse whispers, which Emerald translates for her.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} After going through Salem's treatment,^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3} Cinder trains to master her new powers.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11-12} In Volume 5, Cinder has fully recovered her voice and is ordered by Salem to go to Raven Branwen and convince her to hand over the Spring Maiden.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} Arriving at the bandit tribe, Cinder makes negotiations with Raven to have Vernal open the chamber to the Relic of Knowledge and guaranteeing Qrow's death.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 9} In the Battle of Haven, Cinder leads the ambush against Qrow's group, fights and easily overpowers Jaune, and impales Weiss. At the vault, Cinder reveals her left Grimm arm as she kills Vernal for the Spring Maiden's power, only to discover that it is with Raven. Cinder is ultimately defeated by Raven, who freezes her solid and sends her falling to her presumed death.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-13} Cinder is an allusion to Cinderella.
• 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 and rob them of their hope.^{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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} According to Qrow, Salem is after the four relics left by the deity brothers who created Remnant.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 8} In Volume 5, she has made a deal with the White Fang for the destruction of Haven.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 2} During the Battle of Haven, Salem has her Seer kill Lionheart when he tries to escape.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} Her name is based on the town of Salem known for its witch trials.
• Dr. Arthur Watts (Christopher R. Sabat)^{Vol. 4 credits}: 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.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} In the finale, Watts is seen meeting with Professor Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12} In Volume 5, he is ordered by Salem to make a new tail for Tyrian.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 2} He later accompanies Cinder as she and her team arrive at the Branwen tribe camp for negotiations, but later argues with Cinder for her jeopardizing their mission just to get her revenge on Ruby.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 7 & 9}
• Tyrian Callows (Josh Grelle): A pale man with a long, black braided ponytail. His weapon is a set of wrist blades with attached gun barrels. 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. It is later revealed that he is a scorpion Faunus and his eye color can change from gold to purple when he strikes with his tail stinger.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 6} While he manages to severely wound Qrow, Tyrian's stinger is cut off by Ruby, crippling him and forcing him to escape. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 7} When he returns to Salem, he loses favor with her, much to his grief and frustration.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} His name is the shade of purple.
• Hazel Rainart (William Orendorff): A muscular man who is reserved and composed, and fights with his bare hands. His Semblance nullifies pain, which has allowed him to infuse himself with raw Dust crystals to augment his strength.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 13} Years ago, Hazel lost his sister Gretchen when she died during a training mission while attending Beacon, and blamed Ozpin for her death.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 12} In his debut, Hazel is sent to the White Fang by Salem to meet with Sienna Khan and ensure her loyalty.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} He travels to Anima, where he crosses paths with Oscar.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 10} In Volume 5, Hazel meets Khan but is later shocked and angered when Adam kills her without his knowledge and consent.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} He then joins Cinder and Raven as they ambush Qrow's group in the Battle of Haven. Upon learning that Ozpin has reincarnated into Oscar, Hazel becomes enraged and attacks the boy. After losing the battle, Hazel escapes from Haven with Mercury while carrying an unconscious Emerald.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11-14} Hazel and Gretchen's names come from Hansel and Gretel.

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–present)

• 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12} 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 as a direct result of a nihilistic speech.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 9 - 11} His attire is inspired by the lead character Alex from the novel/film A Clockwork Orange,^[36] while his name is primarily an allusion to Candlewick or Lampwick from Pinocchio.
• Mercury Black (J.J. Castillo (Volume 2), Yuri Lowenthal (Volume 3–present)): 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 7} Mercury is responsible for televising a live video feed of the destruction unleashed on Vale and Beacon near the end of Volume 3.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 10} In Volume 5, Mercury tries to intimidate Raven during the negotiations between her and Salem's faction.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 9} After the Battle of Haven, he is forced to escape with Hazel carrying Emerald.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 7} Ever since she was recruited by Cinder, Emerald has an undying loyalty to her, even if she serves someone as evil as Salem.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11} In Volume 4, Emerald serves as Cinder's translator.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} In Volume 5, during the Battle of Haven, Emerald is emotionally distraught at Cinder's apparent death. In despair she unleashes a powerful hallucination of Salem on the heroes. She is carried away from Haven by Hazel.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 14} Emerald is named after the green gemstone,Sustrai, capitalized, is the Basque word for "thief". She seems to allude to Aladdin.
• 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 4} Although she doesn't talk, Neo isn't mute, as confirmed by Gray G. Haddock during the RWBY aftershow.^[37] She 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11} 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.

• Adam Taurus (Garrett Hunter): A red-haired man with bull horns 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.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12} 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.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 9-11} It is revealed in Volume 4 that Adam is the leader of a rogue splinter group in Vale,^{Vol. 4, Ch. 5} and he is planning a coup to overthrow Khan and launch a full-scale attack of Haven.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 11} In Volume 5, Adam carries out his coup by killing Khan during the arranged meeting between her and Hazel, taking her place as High Leader.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} He then orders the Albain brothers to have Blake brought to him after her parents have been killed.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 5} In the Battle of Haven, Adam has the White Fang set explosives all around the school grounds. But when the plan is foiled by Blake's intervention, Adam abandons the White Fang and escapes.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 11, 13 & 14} 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):^{Vol. 2 credits} A higher-ranking member of the White Fang who works with Roman Torchwick during Volume 2. He fights Weiss on the train towards Vale, wielding a chainsaw as his weapon of choice.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 11}
• Sienna Khan (Monica Rial): The former High Leader of the White Fang who has tiger ears. She succeeded Ghira after he stepped down.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 3} Her weapon is a chain whip with 3 detachable Dust blades. Khan firmly believes in using fear and violence to rid of the prejudice humans have for the Faunus, but not to the point of global consequences.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} In Volume 4, Adam arranges a meeting between Khan and Salem's underling, Hazel.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} In Volume 5, Khan is murdered by Adam, who steals her place as High Leader and has her labeled as a martyr that died at the hands of humans.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 2} Based on Shere Khan from The Jungle Books.
• Corsac and Fennec Albain (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. They each wield a Dust-powered sai.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8} They secretly work for Adam, thought they have become uneasy with his leadership because of his obsession with Blake's suffering.^{Vol. 5 Ch. 5} The brothers personally lead the White Fang during the assault on the Belladonna household in an attempt to kill Ghira and Kali. But ultimately, the attempt fails when Fennec is killed and Corsac is arrested.^{Vol. 5, Ch. 8-10} Their names likely allude to the corsac and fennec fox species.

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.

According to Ozpin, the Grimm were created by the god of darkness, who wanted to destroy all that was created by his older brother, the god of light.^{Vol. 4, Ch 8}

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. There is a larger variant of this species known as an Alpha Beowolf. They are named after the poem Beowolf.^{Vol. 1}
• Ursa: Bear-like Grimm creatures. The smaller and more common ones are called Ursa Minor, while the larger and more powerful variety are known as Ursa Major.^[38] 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.
• Death Stalker: Large scorpion-like Grimm creatures with glowing golden stingers for tails. They are named after the scorpion species.^{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. They are named after the catchphrase of the poem The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe.^{Vol. 1}
• Boarbatusk: Boar-like Grimm creatures.
• 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.
• Creep: Non-animal Grimm based on birds and reptiles.
• Griffon: 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 petrified on top of Beacon Tower after Ruby unleashes her powers. It is still alive and draws the Grimm to the fallen school.^{Vol. 3, Ch 12}
• Beringel: Gorilla-like Grimm. They are named after the scientific species name of the Eastern gorilla.
• Geist: Ghost-type Grimm that can possess inanimate objects. When possessing large rocks, they become Petra Gigas. When possessing the suit of armor Weiss fought in the "White Trailer" (as revealed in the manga), they become Arma Gigas. They are named after the spirit.
• Sea Feilong: Enormous serpent Grimm that dwell in water and attack with lightning breaths. It shares the name of the legendary Chinese winged creature, Feilong literally meaning "Flying Dragon".
• Seer: Small, jellyfish-like Grimm that can float in the air. They also serve as a form of communication between Salem and her agents.
• Nuckelavee: A gigantic nuckelavee Grimm that has destroyed several villages throughout the continent of Anima.^{Vol. 4} It attacks with its elastic limbs and ear-piercing scream. In the finale of Volume 4, it is defeated by Team RNJR and slain by Ren.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 12}
• Lancer: Hornet-like Grimm that can fire their stingers like a harpoon capable of destroying airships. The much larger variety, known as the Queen Lancer, can fire projectiles from its abdomen.

Other

• Dr. Merlot (Dave Fennoy): The main antagonist of RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, a scientist who experimented on Grimm.
• Mike (William Ball): Grimm-Beowolf, Cinder`s henchmen from "RWBY Chibi".
• Marty (Joe Nicolosi): Grimm-Beowolf, Cinder`s henchmen from "RWBY Chibi".
• Floyd (Kerry Shawcross): Grimm-Geists, Cinder`s henchmen from "RWBY Chibi". Mike and Marty`s rival.