Hiya Pining! Indeed we did and what a trailer it was indeed.

Badass Warlock Oscar is definitely something I hope for us Pineheads to see for sure. Personally I’m still banking on Oscar spending most of V8 with a huge target on his back and that clip from the trailer was only Salem’s first attempt at capturing our little prince. I really want to see a solo fight where Oscar takes on a horde of Grimm on his own now that he’s awakened more of Ozma’s memories and powers courtesy of Oz’s aid. I want another opportunity like that---Oscar needing to fend for himself and Oz and rather than completely take the reigns like before, Oz offers assistance through another memory jolt. Words cannot fathom how much I really, REALLY want Oscar to have his own solo Grimm fight where he doesn’t need to be saved by anymore and handles things on his own only through his own strength and of course, Oz feeding him more of his successor’s muscle memory and power.

That being said, to answer your questions: Regarding Cinder’s intentions, that’s actually a really good question and to be honest with you, fam, I’m not really sure. I can’t really give you an answer but what I can say is what I’d like to see come out of Cinder’s story.

A part of me is still stubbornly holding out for my Cinder the Red Queen headcanon where at some point Cinder ends up usurping Salem and taking over from her after she is defeated. Given how long the series has kept Cinder around, it’d actually be rather crappy if they killed her off NOW. I think for the moment Cinder is going to play nice with Salem as her loyal apprentice considering that currently Cinder still sees Salem as the key to her achieving her own ultimate goal which is to become an all-powerful being feared by all.

So I think for now, Cinder will play the field and will probably do all of her dirty deeds through Neopolitan just as how she used her to obtain the Relic of Knowledge to offer to Salem. That’s my hunch.

As for what Jaune said in the trailer, no worries Pining. I got you covered. Here’s what I interpreted from that part of the trailer:

Ruby: Atlas is only Salem’s current target. One she’s done here, she’ll move onto the rest of Remnant.

Ren: There are people here who need us right now.

Nora: We need to warn them!

Jaune: Then let’s go for both. Get Amity up and running and evacuate Mantle.

So basically what I got from that bit of dialogue was that Jaune was the one who suggested the group splitting up to divide and conquer--- Ruby, Nora, Weiss and Blake will head up to Amity Arena to probably negotiate a truce with Ironwood---a chance for them to work together on fixing Amity Arena in order to restore communication to all of Remnant and warn the other kingdoms of Salem’s impending attack. 

(It is also implied in the trailer that a fight will erupt up in Atlas since in the trailer, Nora was hinted at breaking someone out of prison so my hunch is that RWBN_P will fail to negotiate with Ironwood leading to them working to free their friends captive up in Atlas---like Qrow and Robyn. Who knows? Maybe our heroes might end up getting desperate and accepting help from Arthur Watts to work together with Pietro to fix Amity behind the General’s back? But we’ll see. Just a hunch for now), 

While that group is handling that part, the rest of them---Yang, Ren and Jaune will go down to Mantle to aid the remaining evacuees. And this is where they will reunite with Oscar who will probably give them the idea to take the People of Mantle to the “crater” since I noticed that the shot from the trailer reminded me of the same area where Oscar landed in the V7 finale.

That’s what I got. I hope this helps o/

Part of me wonders what will happen in order to keep himself sane! Do you think we’ll see Oz talking with Salem to protect Oscar from any emotional torture or will we see something new from them both? I think there is something more to our farm boi than the past hosts!

Hiya Pining o/ Well my fellow Pinehead, I’m actually the opposite of you since based on what I saw in that intro, I’m actually really, really excited for Oscar’s development for this season. Judging by the intro visuals, it seems like there will be a point in the story where Oscar may wind up being tortured psychologically.

In the intro, it featured Oscar holding his head while an spectre of a monstrous-looking Salem hovered above him. The last time we saw this version of Salem, it was from an illusion projected by Emerald after the villains had lost the Battle of Haven.

So it wouldn’t surprise me if this shot from the intro is a sign of Emerald becoming Oscar’s torturer, using Salem’s monstrous form to possibly play into the little prince’s fears. This could mean that we can FINALLY get a look into Oscar true thoughts and feelings---everything that he’s probably been bottling up since he left home.

This is a chance for the show to allow the audience to FINALLY look inside who Oscar is as a person---what he sees and finally show the REAL RAW TRUTH behind how he’s handling everything. While I understand that most Pineheads are nervous about what Salem will do to Oscar while imprisoned but, I dunno, for me, I can’t help but feel over the moon for this. An experience like this could honestly open doors to a lot of growth for Oscar as his own character. It could also lend to his growing relationship with Oz.

For V8, Salem will probably attempt to target Oscar where he’s most vulnerable right now---his mind. Since that’s the part of him that’s split into two. But this can also provide an avenue to show Oscar and Oz finally working together for once since this will be a moment where Salem will be launching an attack on them. Oscar’s mind isn’t just home to his soul but Oz’s too and if Salem tries to destroy that, this is a chance for BOTH SOULS to band together for once and fight back TOGETHER---proving that they are much stronger as one mind---one soul and person rather than apart the way they are :D

Don’t you see Pining. This could be EPIC! Well…epic if actually executed well enough. And you’re right. I’d still love to hold out for the concept of Oscar being meant to symbolize the last in the Ozma cycle. He is meant to be the end. The one meant to live to see Salem’s defeat and the one life free of being forced to prolong this never-ending fight with the immortal Wicked Witch.

I’d also love to still think that Oscar is meant to represent the true reincarnation of Ozma---his first form that he never regained that was reborn in Modern Remnant as Oscar Pine. Thus making Oscar actually Ozma. The real Ozma. Or at least the new him as opposed to previous Wizards of Light who were otherwise their own men.

I still love my Pinehead headcanon of Oscar merging with Oz meant to symbolize making him whole again---fully reviving Ozma---the God’s chosen champion in Modern Remnant. I still love that theory but I doubt it’ll actually become canon. Nonetheless, if there’s one thing that is for certain is that Oscar is meant to be different. Everything the show has said about him is steering towards that. But we will see. Overall, I think we should gear ourselves for some good Oscar-worthy action this rounds, fam. Fingers crossed.

Hiya Pining o/ I’m doing alright-ish for now. Thanks for asking. How are you? Hope you’ve been well yourself, fam.

I have seen someone---I believe it was @mood-owl ---create fanart based on that very same theory. It’s a cool fanart piece.

Personally, though, I don’t think the goo drip meant anything important story wise or so I’d like to believe. I more saw it as just being added for dramatic effect within the scene for the sake of highlighting the transformation capabilities of George the Greyhound Grimm. As observed, a good percentage of George’s body appears to comprise of the same black essence taken from the Grimm Pools of Darkness and that’s how the beast is able to shapeshift its body and change form.

So yeah, outside of being kidnapped, I think Oscar is mostly fine in the sense that I don’t think George’s goo will impact the little prince in any way. Not saying you’re wrong in your speculations. I’m just saying that that’s how I see it and I could potentially be wrong in that as well. So we’ll see how things go in the show.

Although…it would be pretty interesting if the goo unintentionally connected Oscar to George. Like imagine if...this becomes like another Harry Potter and Voldemort scenario where the Hound becomes linked to Oscar mentally and is able to see into his mind and learn things about him on a deeper level just as how Oscar is able to see into the beast’s mind and feel its true thoughts and feelings despite it being a monster. That could’ve provided a potential way for Oscar to bond with George and…perhaps even form an unlikely friendship between them based on their combined understanding of one another.

Then again, this is just me expressing my desire to have George remaining in RWBY as a recurring character---antagonist and/or potential ally through Oscar. However for now, based on the opening, I feel like we’re more likely to see the Hound torture Oscar from within. 

I don’t know what other abilities the Hound possesses besides shapeshifting but as hinted by this shot from the opening, I feel like we could see George play into Oscar’s fears and insecurities. Especially regarding the Merge between him and Oz.

You’re right. Neither soul wants the Merge to happen for his own personal reasons. Oscar doesn’t want to lose himself and… Oz probably doesn’t want that either since he senses Oscar’s hesitation. He knows and probably understands more than anyone how much Oscar doesn’t want this. I honestly wish we could get a moment of Oscar asking Oz of what the Merge was like for him when it happened to him.

Since technically, Oz was his own person before. All the Wizards were. I’m surprised Oscar hasn’t asked him about how he handled all of this and how all played into the person Oz eventually became. Perhaps this may happen in the end. If there comes a point later in the story where the two souls feel their psyche or mental mind palace being breached (either through Salem or the Hound’s influence), the only choice they’d have is to do exactly what you described Pining. Realize how vital they are to each other and thus work together and fight as one as the only way to come out stronger.

Hiya Pining o/ Well according to a quick rewatch of V8 trailer and a screenshot enhance by Morally_Ambiguous_Astronaut @DartChloe over on Twitter, apparently it is true that Oscar does get whisked away to Salem by the new Grimm teased in the trailer. Fans are calling it a Bloodhound Grimm for now. 

But yeah, it does seem like Oscar will be kidnapped. I’m not quite sure how far Salem will get with this first attempt though as according to trailer, Yang, Jaune and Ren were seen on Rhino hover-bikes in hot pursuit of the Bloodhound Grimm that took Oscar away.

Based on your hunch Pining, we could potentially see Oz do the exact same thing he did for Oscar during the V7 finale. 

Imagine if…Oz hits Oscar with another memory surge which encourages him to use magic to escape the Bloodhound. Imagine Oscar jolting the Bloodhound only to plummet toward the ground again and land the same way he did in V7 using his newly awakened bubble shield.

I think what we can potentially see is Oscar facing off against Bloodhound Grimm on his own at first before Yang, Ren and Jaune probably arrive in the end to provide him with backup. 

Since the trailers have a tendency to contain footage from the first couple of episodes of the season, I think we can assume that what we saw in the trailer might be Salem’s first attempt at capturing Oscar.

A part of me REALLY wants Oscar to end up giving himself up to Salem to protect his friends. Since we’re gearing up for some angst for next volume, I want the season to end on a really grim note. I want V8 to end on Oscar being captured by Salem and that’s what we’ll have going forward into V9.

Hello Pining. Compliments of the season to you, fam. Lol XD Again thanks for your adorkable comment. Regarding your little theory, I actually think that was the whole reason why we got that small moment at the start of CH6 with Jaune training and recovering his aura.

I believe it’s all setup for a potential fight between Jaune and Tyrian for the V7 finale. The only thing I’m not sure about are what the circumstancesfor them to be fighting each other would be. I mean, apart from Ruby and Qrow,JNR are the only ones to have encountered Tyrian in the past. And the last timeall three of them came face to face with the Scorpion Faunus, he practicallywiped the floor with them leading to Ruby needing to be saved by Qrow.

At the moment, Tyrian has been mostly moving according Watts’ cleverly crafted schemes. However the day when Watts cuts Tyrian loose and allows him to do whatever he pleases, I’m worried that that could potentially spell danger for Ruby yet again.

Ruby was the one who cut off Tyrian’s original tail and I do recall him not taking that lightly. So I’m concerned we could potentially get a rematch with Tyrian targeting Ruby and JNR coming to her rescue. I actually think JNR workingtogether to face off against Tyrian would be a pretty awesome fight to seeespecially given how each member of the group has grown since their lastencounter with Salem’s killer henchmen. 

I would love to see Jaune go toe to toe with Tyrian. It’s a very rare sight for us to actually see Jaune hold his own in a one on one dual. The closest thing we’ve gotten in the past is his brief clash with Cinder back in V5 in which he lost. So ifTyrian comes for Ruby or worse…if Tyrian comes for Ruby and Nora gets injured in the process needing for Ren and Ruby to have time to take Nora to safety, I can see Jaune playing a line of defense to stand between Tyrian and his friends.

Jaune possessing the kind of semblance that allows him to replenish his aura levels while healing himself in the process makes him the perfect opponent for Tyrian. Not to mention that Jaune additionally has the option of projecting his aura in a manner that could potentially cause damage to opponents facing off against him.

Vine did give him the idea back in CH5 so I’m curious if Jaune has also been practicing ways to project his aura in combat.

The more I think about it, the more I really want to see a fight with just Jaunealone fighting Tyrian. I can even picture Jaune being the one to singlehandedly defeat Tyrian. But I’m curious where this battle will go. I doubt the CRWBY Writers would want to get rid of Tyrian that easily.

Then again! Holy shit…then again! YO! I just had a big brain idea.

What if…and this is a BIG IF…Tyrian ends up being defeated by the combined team work of JNR and Oscar to protect Ruby in a fashion thatpays homage to the first battle against the Deathstalker that formed the original JNPR Team?

Isn’t the Deathstalker not a Grimm based off of a scorpion? And what type of Faunus is Tyrian Callows? A scorpion!

Again I doubt Tyrian will be defeated that easily but…the more I think about it, the more this squiggle meister really wants to see a four on one match between Tyrian against Jaune, Nora, Oscar and Ren in a fight that not only parallels the first JNPR team fight back in V1but finally solidifies that Oscar will be a part of JNR moving forward just to finally stick a pin in that JNPR 2.0 Revival Pinehead headcanon. 

I don’t know how or if it will even happen but I think JNR working together with Oscar to face off against one common enemy—potentially the most dangerous enemy they’ll ever fight—would be a spectacle to see and I want it, dagnabbit!

Tyrian versus JNPR 2.0. I want it. I need it and if it’s done to protect Ruby then that’s just the cherry on this awesometastic cake.

I just really, really want to see JNR work together and fighting as a team again especially with Oscar as a part of it. And now that I’ve envisioned it in my imagination, I can’t help but wanna hope for it. I’m not even kidding now. Ireally want to see JNPR 2.0 go at it against Tyrian and kick his ass. What’llbe even better is if the way they defeat him mimics how they managed to takedown FNKI in the end with Jaune, Ren and Oscar cornering Tyrian like a rat in amaze long enough for Nora to deal the final blow.

Not necessarily killing Tyrian but…defeating him and knocking him out long enough so that he could be taken into Atlesian police custody (that he’ll obviously escape from later with Salem’s help in the V7 Finale After Credit teaser but I digress). I really think that could be cool but who knows?

But in the event that we don’t get to see JNPR 2.0 fight Tyrian, I’ll take Tyrian versus Jaune because that I can definitely say that will happen given that small foreshadow from the fifth episode.

This also makes me wonder something curious about Tyrian. Since hissemblance enables him to cut through another’s aura, can Tyrian also sense another person’s aura levels?

I still found it interesting how he was able to call Jaune out like that back during V4. So did he know? Did he sense Jaune’s near infinite aura levels andpegged him as a worthy adversary?

It makes me wonder now. Just as much as it makes me wonder how a match between these two would go should they clash. I really wanna see Jaune fight Tyrian now. Heck I just want to see Jaune in a fight where it’s just him against one person and we get to see the whole fight and he wins in the end or at least manages to hold his own until back up arrives.

We have not seen a fight like this for Jaune at all and I want it. I think Jaune deserves to have his badass zero to hero moment after all the growth he’s undergone since Beacon Days. If not for himself then at least let him do it to avenge all the thirsty moms whose lives were unfortunately claimed during Tyrian’s footloose rendition.

Especially if in the end it further crowns Jaune as a person of interest to Tyrian. For the most part all we’ve seen from Tyrian is that he’s a merciless sadistic killer. But imagine for a minute if Tyrian was the type of guy who also somewhat values strength and weakness.

Like he’s the type of psychotic malicious killer who will pray on the innocent since he knows that they’re an easy prey but the minute he finds himself a worthy prey—an opponent who can rile him up with the thrill of the hunt and the kill, he’ll become fixated on said prey to the point where he would only allow himself to be killed by said person…if that makes sense.

Like imagine if Tyrian fights JNPR 2.0 and loses but doesn’t die. And the one takeaway from this fight to the Scorpion Faunus is his newfound obsession with Jaune.

Like it’s a type of relationship where Tyrian won’t allow anyone else tokill Jaune but him and the only person he’ll allow to kill him is Jaune.Like some sick twisted fixation where Tyrian sees Jaune as his “death mate”—his perfect antithesis.

I know it’s an odd theory but bear with me on this one will you. I’m just saying that should Tyrian fight Jaune and survive, it’d be interesting if it ends with him giving up on Ruby and training eyes on Jaune instead. Currently Ruby has way too many people coming after her. She already got the Fire and Ice-cream duo and possibly Salem on her ass (with possibly Ironwood coming up next depending on how he’s looking during the next few episodes).

So…yeah, let Tyrian have Jaune. Why not? Jaune stans don’t get mad at me.