She Fights for her Friends
I’m not sure if I can explain and articulate this point correctly, but like half of this FNDM I’m Yang-emotional and just have a lot of thoughts so okay;
There’s this moment in Volume 3 Yang jumps into the fray after Adam, because she sees Blake is hurt, and she has not other options. And she just goes for it, because that’s how much Blake matters to her, it’s indescribable just how much. And it’s heartbreaking to see her make that leap towards Adam, because we know what’s coming next, (we know her intentions are good, it’s not stupidity or recklessness that drives her) but it’s her friend (future gf) in danger and that’s all that matters.
There’s this moment in Yang’s Volume 5 short, that happens pre-series, and she’s training Ruby. And a Grimm walks in, and Ruby’s defenseless, so Yang does what she absolutely must because it’s hardwired into her brain - she jumps in to protect Ruby. Because her sister (and she’s already sacrificed so much for her sister trying to be both a sibling and a parent) is in danger, so she has to jump in, she must, it’s such an obvious choice for her to make it doesn’t even register to her as a choice.
There’s this moment in Volume 6 in which Yang yeets Bumblebee into Adam when Blake’s in danger, and it doesn’t matter to her that she has to face the demon of her dreams again, it doesn’t matter that she feels Blake doesn’t understand her yet (Blake left, she only came back by mistake), all that matters is being there and helping Blake face her abuser. All that matters is not vengeance, it’s not killing Adam, it’s not about getting payback - it’s Blake. It’s making her - and them - safe.
There’s this moment in Volume 8, chapter 2, in which a terrifying Grimm we’ve never seen before breaks all of our perceptions of everything Grimm can or could be. And it manages to nab Oscar and break his Aura immediately, and terrify our heroes to inaction. And then Yang goes for it and tries to get Oscar back, because that’s what matters - screw the scary Grimm, screw her fear, her friend is in danger and she won’t stand back doing nothing, even at those terrible odds. It doesn’t matter that Oscar shares his body with Ozpin (who lied to her, who proved her mother right), Oscar is in danger and he needs help.
Then there’s this moment in Volume 8, chapter 9, in which a terrifying evil being, who isn’t even human (who crashed her world, who shattered her family) has Emerald in her clutches. And Emerald hurt Yang, Emerald made her life miserable, Emerald - can she even be trusted in that moment? Yet - yet it doesn’t matter that her odds are against her, Emerald’s there and she’s scared and she’s in mortal danger so what does Yang do? What does she do, if not run up to Salem and fight her?
I know Yang says she has no higher calling, I know Yang feels directionless. I know what makes Yang the way that she is today was tragedy and growing too fast. I know that she suffered for it then, I know she suffers for it now. But who needs a higher calling - who needs one truly - when you do have one so noble, so good, so true;
She fights for her friends.