In This House We Love And Respect Qrow Branwen

“The Fall Maiden”, “Do not fall”, “It is worth to risk the fall” and many others…

Falling is a recurring motif in RWBY and it will most likely stay so until the very end. In this meta, let’s try to analyze its multiple meanings in relation to the character that most of all embodies this specific imagery:

Cinder Fall.

We have seen our protagonists going from questioning the adults around them:

Ruby: This is a lot to take in and it all sounds crazy, but… I’m willing to do whatever I can to help because I trust you. But why couldn’t you trust me?

To asking to be trusted and treated as equals:

Qrow: Ruby stop.

Ruby: I need you to trust me.

To finally being the ones that have to choose if to trust:

Ruby: I’m trying to do what I think is best, but I really can’t tell if what’s best is what’s right, or if I’m no different from Oz.

It has been a compelling journey that has marked some important steps in the characters’ growth and has led to a specific understanding of the theme of trust:

Weiss: Trust is a risk.

Let’s see what this means under the cut.

yeah... his father also called it "a crutch", which in training mercury to be an assassin like him wouldn't just translate into "you aren't allowed to leave a fight by running away" but also "you're not allowed to leave this place and me".

Oh my gosh - it’s bumbleby week, so u know what that means.

I’m gonna draw not bumbleby but the entire team. That makes sense yeah

Anyway u guys seemed to like my old screenshot redraws so I did another one ;,)

Bumbleby week day 2: First kiss!

Changes

So ever since we were first introduced to the Maidens back in Volume 3, there’s been a lingering question running through the fandom: Will one of Team RWBY ever get Maiden Powers? During Volume 7, Weiss was considered one of the most likely candidates to become the new Winter Maiden. And ever since Volume 5, people have been pointing out many supposed ‘hints’ and foreshadowing to Raven eventually making some big heroic sacrifice and passing the power of the Spring Maiden to Yang.

And it makes sense, doesn’t it? We’ve got this big, powerful legendary power of… er, power that gets passed down from one chosen one to another. In standard fantasy story terms, it seems inevitable that such a power would eventually find its way into the hands of at least one of our protagonists, right? Heck, we have four main heroines, and four legendary powers. So really, it’s only logical that all of Team RWBY will become the four Maidens by the end of the story, right?

Well here’s the thing: When has RWBY EVER done things in a ‘standard fantasy story’ way?

Not only do I not think that all of Team RWBY will wind up getting the Maiden Powers, I believe that NONE of Team RWBY will become a Maiden at all.