RWBY Volume 4 Character Short In-Depth Analysis
In response to the announcement that Volume 10 of RWBY has been greenlit, I have decided to celebrate by writing my long-overdue analysis of the Volume 4 Character Short.
The Volume 4 Character Short was released on October 3rd, 2016, via Entertainment Weekly, Youtube, and Rooster Teeth website.
Now, try to remember what the mindset was during that time. Monty Oum was dead. Beacon was destroyed. The status quo established for two seasons was gone. For 8 months since Volume 3’s “The End of the Beginning” aired on February 13th, 2016. Then, on October 3rd of that year, we get this.
A lone figure in a red cloak, walking through the woods. Look familiar?
Functionally, the V4 Short acts as an extended callback to the aesthetic of the Red Trailer. Ruby Rose, all by herself, approaches a cliff. But she’s not visiting any graves. Ruby’s world has expanded significantly since that solitary pilgrimage to her mother’s memorial.
To drive this home, our next shot is within the village seen from the cliff. Houses are on fire, people are fleeing from the Beowolf Grimm. Immediately we go to a close-up on Ruby’s face, suggesting that she sees what we see.
As Nevermores fly by, Ruby uses Crescent Rose to hitch a ride. Yet another callback, this time to the initiation at Beacon Academy. Ruby and Weiss tried to ride a Nevermore back then, but lost control. Here, Ruby not only rides her Nevermore with ease, but kills it once she’s done. Remember, it took all of Team RWBY working together to kill their Nevermore back in “Players and Pieces”.
On the whole, the Character Short is a demonstration of how much Ruby has grown since leaving Vale. And she shows it off with gusto. There’s a great bit where Ruby destroys a statue of a hooded figure and takes its place, symbolizing how Ruby is slowly growing to replace the old regime.
I won’t bore you with a blow-by-blow analysis of Ruby’s battle with the Beowolves, but I would like to point out a few good moments. First off, Ruby’s opening move is to show off how her Semblance has evolved. Far from merely a boost in speed, she’s now a fluid storm of petals. And while she’s dicing up most of the Grimm, one Beowolf tries chucking rocks at her from a distance. I feel this symbolizes that outside the kingdoms, even basic Grimm are smarter and more dangerous. Of course, this also gives Ruby a chance to demonstrate her Semblance’s splitting technique to catch it off guard. So while more difficult, it’s just more of the Red Trailer, right?
Wrong. This big boy shows up. He’s not only bigger, faster, and stronger than a Beowolf, but this killer ape is way more durable. The Crescent Rose that could cleave through Beowolves can’t even scratch the Beringel (What the Grimm is called in official lists). And what’s more, at one point it chucks Beowolves at Ruby- not as an attack, but to create an opening to ambush her. Ruby is put on the back foot, going from fighting mooks to a boss in the blink of an eye. A boss that smashes her down once it gets close enough.
I would say that this whole ordeal represents how the enemies of the series are getting stronger and more dangerous- or maybe they’ve always been this monstrous, and we’re just learning about them now.
But just like in the end of the Beacon Saga, just because Ruby falls doesn’t mean she has to stay there. She rises, and throws herself back into the fight. And changes tactics.
I like how Ruby’s next moves are designed to throw the Beringel off-balance, using her scythe to trip it, then her speed to push it into the air. All so she can put herself into position for the final blow.
After killing the Beringel, Ruby gets a call from Team JNR, reminding us that she’s no longer alone. Especially with more Grimm to fight.
The shot of the moon transitions to first Weiss, then Blake, and Yang. This is to show us that while Ruby is the one to have started on the quest, their part in the story is not over yet.