Double Trouble

One of the biggest issues people have brought up about the writing within RWBY since the premiere of the Season 3 Finale has been the rather sudden shift of Adam Taurus from fairly violent but ultimately sane White Fang leader to the batshit crazy psychopath that cut Yang’s arm off. I mean seriously, sure the man was violent and didn’t exactly have the best grasp of basic morality, but come Finale he is going full Phantom of the Opera, threatening to hurt Blake and everyone she loves if she doesn’t come back to him. It seems a rather violent mental down slide for the character, and stinks of bad writing… or does it?

when rewatching season 3, something Blake said stuck out to me,  I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn’t in an instant, it was gradual - little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defense. Before long, even I began to think he was right. Blake is clearly talking about Adam, talking about the change of the boy she probably grew up with and maybe loved into the man who she left behind in the Black Trailer… This line always catches my attention because whenever I hear it, something feels off. She says the change was gradual, but the way she says it and attributes it to Yang’s seemingly violent action in the tournament… It makes me think ‘How gradual was it really” At best I’d say this change in Adam was only over the course of a year or two, which makes sense as the White Fang only turned violent when it went under new leadership (Adam) only a few years ago. But what could have caused this sudden change? The answer may be closer than you think.

… Rather distinctive Adam’s semblance. Absorbing all that energy makes for a nice glow effect. Now I know what you’re thinking; His Hair isn’t the only one that glows when Semblance is activated. Yang’s hair glows any time she gets moderately moody and some people have noted that Sun Wukong’s hair has a slight glow when activating his semblance. Well his hair isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about his clothes. Out of every character and every semblance we have seen, there has only been one other person who displays the glow effect in their clothing. Who could this be?

Oh. the first World of Remnant about Dust states that Dust could be woven into clothing. Both Adam and Cinder’s clothing react uniquely to the activation of semblance by glowing, and Cinder’s clothing is shown to have several unique properties that don’t seem to be Cinder’s semblance. This includes the creation of her glass like weapons, changing from the infiltration suit to a dress, and even absorbing gunshots in a very similar method to Adam. Okay, so they possibly both use Dust augmented clothing, Cinder clearly having the better tailored outfit, the World of Remnant said dust clothing wasn’t exactly uncommon. Adam probably could have picked up his own right? I don’t think so. The Video described the weaving of Dust into clothing as being an Archaic method, i doubt many people actually know how to do it these days. If you are rich, you could probably buy a suit like this from one of the few people that know how to make it, or if you have the training you could do it yourself… neither of these fit with Adam. I think someone gave him the suit.  but who?

I think Adam has been involved in Salem’s plans for much longer than before Cinder added him to the team. It actually makes a lot of sense, the world of Remnant has been going through an extraordinary time of peace, kind of hard to build an army of monsters that feed of negativity when there is only peace and happiness. The balance needed to be thrown off, and there was an opportunity to do so. The White Fang was peaceful, but it was a symbol of the only real issue that remained in Remnant’s people. The divide between Human and Faunus was still a wound that was slowly healing, if you want to create negativity in a population then this is the place to strike. It was probably very easy, finding someone like Adam in the ranks of the White Fang, a peaceful protester like the rest but with the capability for great strength and an ambition for the betterment of his people. All Salem had to do was send one of her agents to Adam, offering a piece of clothing to young Adam with the promise it would make him strong enough to fight for his people and help secure their future. I doubt Adam even hesitated. Semblance comes from a person’s aura, as soon as he activated his semblance and his aura flowed through the dust in the suit, I think he began to change. then came the ‘accidents’, the ‘self defense’. A curse hidden deep in the dust woven into a fancy suit, turning a freedom fighter into a full blown terrorist. And it works, under Adam’s guidance the White Fang turns violent. On the one hand it seems to work in their favor, people are respecting faunus… but out of fear. Salem’s goal realized, the seeds of fear, anger, and distrust grow in a population.

Adam being involved unknowingly in the plan makes sense in the context of the show. Look at this exchange, Adam: You could’ve gone to anyone for help. You could’ve made a deal with a gang leader, paid off some Huntsmen that have strayed from their… righteous path… but instead, you choose to seek an audience with me. Cinder: You’re the one we need. Your skill, your ability to lead those beneath you. You’re an exceptionally valuable man, Adam. And we’ve put a lot of thought into-

Bullshit Cinder, he’s valuable because your master has been manipulating him for years. Even still, during this flashback Adam comes off as sane, but i don’t think he stayed that way. At this point, Adam’s main priority is the White Fang, he doesn’t even chase after Blake… but that changes. when we see Adam at the end of Volume 2, Cinder and Co are talking about how the White Fang won’t listen to them because so many of them got trapped in the tunnels with grimm, but Adam walks in saying that the White Fang will listen to him… kind of heartless of him isn’t it? just shoving off the deaths of dozens of his fellow Faunus, Doesn’t sound like Adam the Revolutionary. then Comes Volume 3, Adam has clearly gone full madman, and seems to be freakishly stronger than before. Adam was able to cut Yang’s arm off because he basically one shotted his way through her Aura, when last we saw him it took him several hits to cut up a standard combat robot and was only able to perform his 1 hit KO after absorbing a huge amount of energy. I think while Adam and Cinder were working together, she did something to rapidly accelerate both Adam’s power and madness, but i have no proof of this.

A lot of this seems like a reach, the concept of Adam being driven mad by clothing is a lot to take in, But let me bring up one last way this all ties in.

This Is Adam’s symbol, a wilting rose. This rose on the back of Adam’s Jacket, His Name, and his relationship with Blake are all references to Adam’s inspiration Beauty and the Beast. (Blake Belladona being inspired by Belle, and Adam being the name of the Beast before transformation.) in the story, The young Prince Adam is Transformed into a Monster by a Witch and given a rose as a symbol of his curse, when the wilting rose drops its last petal the curse would be complete. Let me recap that one. Turned into a monster = turned into an overpowered sociopath Given a Rose = Given a dust infused suit with a rose Design By a Witch = Salem