Ruby killed Harambe!/Harambe's dead again! Explanation The trailer for Volume 4 has Ruby fighting a massive Beringel (a gorilla Grimm) at the climax. The trailer dropped around the time a gorilla named Harambe was shot and killed at a zoo, which became a meme. It didn't take long for people to joke the Grimm in question is Harambe Back from the Dead about to be killed all over again. It even dies from being shot!
Ruby the Tavern Wench Explanation It didn't take long for many fans to note that Ruby's new outfit kind of gives off the look of a stereotypical medieval fantasy tavern wench.
The Volume 4 OP goes with everything. Explanation Using Youdubber to sync other songs to the opening video, which is remarkably like an anime opening.
Salem, the ultimate Team Mom.Explanation Examination of the meeting of Salem and her associates reveals that Salem's belief of mankind's strength when united bleeds into her management tactics, as she carefully defused the situations that arise from having so many and such divergent personas working together, expertly and without putting anyone down, while complementing and supporting all of them. The FNDM reacted as such.
Orphan No More! Explanation It was common fanon that Blake's parents had died at some point, leaving her orphaned and leading to her questionable relationship with Adam. The Volume 4 OP shows them alive and well.
The Cake Butler Explanation In one Chibi sketch, Weiss mentioned that her family had a cake butler ("He's my favorite butler"). After Klein got introduced at the end of Volume 4 episode 1, the FNDM predictably asked if he was the cake butler.
The Compost King! Explanation Again from Chibi, Jaune attempts to get JNPR to play a boardgame about farming called "The Compost King". With Oscar (at the time unnamed) getting an unusually long amount of screentime in Episode 1 doing nothing except living an agricultural life, and the Compost King logo appearing on the machinery, he quickly earned the nickname "Compost King".
Watts' Moustache Explanation Watts' moustache is commented on frequently, with its Fan Nickname being "Wattstache". People have begun to joke that Watts will end up losing his moustache if he ever crosses paths with Ruby.
Onion Ninjas Explanation With the sheer amount of Tear Jerker moments in Volume 4, episode 2, a common joke in the comments was that there were ninjas in the room chopping onions.
Ancient Coffee Cup Explanation Salem mentioned a relic at Beacon at the end of Of Runaways And Stowaways. The FNDM almost instantly joked that Ozpin's coffee cup was the relic (serious guesses had it as Ozpin's cane; while the truly zany ones had it as Ozpin's phallic chair).
"Play it again, FILSS" Explanation Jaune's training session in episode 2 drew many comparisons to the Director's last moments in Rooster Teeth's other flagship show.
The Pride Ship.Explanation At the finale, Yang is shown taking the same boat Blake and Sun did, and her ticket labels the vessel as being called the Pride <Obscured by Yang's finger>. Considering the use of the word in regards to LGBTQ and the popular Yang/Blake ship, the use didn't go unnoticed.
Kali is a Cougar! Explanation Due to Blake's Mom Kali saying she likes Sun, fans have joked that Kali likes younger men and is "into" Sun. The joke is also a pun since Kali is a Cat Faunus and Cougar is slang for older women who like younger men.
She just wants to play Monkey in the Middle with Blake! Explanation Sun is a monkey faunus. And, quite frankly, how else would a threesome between them go?
Assassin's Creed furries Explanation Fans have taken note of how the getup of new Faunus characters, Corsac and Fennec Albain, is similar to the getup of the Assassin's Creed protagonist.
Stop forgetting the map, Jaune! Explanation At the first Volume 4 episode, Jaune got irritated with Nora for forgetting the map, then spent the rest of the volume dropping the map whenever something dramatic happened until they lost the map completely. Even the show jokes about it in Volume 5.
Weiss' Father stole Christmas. Explanation The World of Remnant about the SDC explained that it used to be owned by Nicholas Schnee, who wore a red and ran the SDC with the people in mind, giving him parallels with St. Nick, or Santa Claus. Jacques' full name before he took Schnee translated to Jack Frost, who is occasionally depicted as trying to steal Christmas. Jacques married into the Schnee family and usurped the entire company, in addition to turning it into the heartless monopoly it is currently. The episode also aired in December, furthering the connection. The following episode (which aired on Christmas Eve for First members), he revoked Weiss' state as heiress, taking away what belonged to her.
Fuck it, I have fists!Explanation Qrow's reaction to being disarmed by Tyrian was to just shrug and punch the assassin in the face. This has not hurt Qrow's reputation as a badass in the slightest.
FISTS! MY ONLY WEAKNESS!Explanation More than a few viewers were rather amused by how badly blindsided Tyrian was by a simple punch.
If Qrow dies, we riot. Explanation Qrow being cut by Tyrian's stinger caused a near panic in the comments, with MANY people fearing that he'd been fatally poisoned.
PRAISE BASED TOWEL CORGI Explanation Originates from a character status chart praising the first genuine look at Zwei seen in a while, while near the towel table during Yang and Taiyang's training session.
(D&D Rule #1:) Don't split the party! Explanation Many people were saying this phrase when team RNJR split up into two groups, saying that it was a bad idea given their current situation.
Lie Ren's father is Hanzo. Explanation Many fans noticed the resemblance between Li Ren and Hanzo from Overwatch. The fact that the main weapon of both is a bow also helps. In response to the meme, CRWBY admitted that they had the same reaction during the character's design phase, then decided to embrace it and make him a full-blown expy.
Ren's father is a "Hanzo Main". Explanation One Overwatch meme is the common occurence of people who claim to "Main" Hanzo actually being really bad at playing him. People have begun to joke that if Li Ren was a better Hanzo, he wouldn't have died.
Renyatta Explanation Ren's semblance was revealed to produce some sort of calming effect on himself and others, suppressing or alleviating negative emotions, allowing him to mask his presence from Grimm. A literal take on Zenyatta's ult line "Experience Tranquility".
"Knuckles" Explanation In the vein of the fandom nicknaming iconic Grimm, the Nuckelavee was nicknamed "Knuckles".
MAXIMUM STEALTH WEISS!!! (yelled as loud as possible) Explanation In Volume 4 Episode 11, Weiss sneaks out of the Schnee mansion... in high heels. The flooring is partially-carpeted marble, the mansion is full of large, echoing hallways, and she has to get past her father's office. Although she sticks to the carpet, she isn't quiet and ends up sealing her father's office door with gravity Glyphs, which immediately attract Ironwood and Jacques' attention.
Anti-Upskirt Technology has failed! Explanation Ren accidentally looked up Nora's skirt during the fight with the Nuckelavee. The FNDM was quick to report this malfunction.
It's also a sword!Explanation The revelation that Jaune's sword and shield had been upgraded to add in a zweihandler form has lead people to bring back Ruby's old "It's also a gun" quote. The show runs on the premise that every weapon is also a gun (or reveals some long-range capability if it isn't). When Jaune first transforms his sword, it becomes... a bigger sword.
Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Grimm! Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Grimm!Explanation Based on a Cutaway Gag from Family Guy. As seen during Team RNJR's fight against it, the Nuckelavee's rider body is seen waving its incredibly long arms around to attack opponents, and is practically undergoing spasms throughout the fight.
Rensexual Explanation Originating from the same status charts that brought PRAISE BASED TOWEL CORGI, the joke is that everyone watching the show is attracted to Ren. Reached ultimate levels when Miles Luna admitted to being a Rensexual himself at RTX Sydney.
Being Tai is sufferingExplanation Tai has lost two wives, his eldest daughter lost her arm, and by the end of Volume 4, both his daughters have gone on dangerous quests, leaving him home alone gazing at photos of happier times.
Volume 5
The Safe Word is "Winter" Explanation Weiss' character short has her being pinned down by a bunch of Winter's Beowolf summons. Only after Weiss yells Winter's name does the attack stop, leading fans to respond with this. It got even worse after Season 3 of Chibi had Winter suggest keeping Qrow in line by putting him on a leash.
Blake is an assassin. Explanation Before the release of Blake's V5 character short, Rooster Teeth tweeted a gif of Blake walking through a crowd, shoving people out of her way in the manner of an Assassin's Creed protagonist getting through a crowd.
"His name is Smolboi." Explanation It was only after Oscar was seen next to Ruby and Nora, who were already among the shorter of the core cast, that people started to notice that Oscar is tiny next to the girls who are between two and four years older than him respectively. The term Smolboi popped up as a term of endearment instantly in reaction videos, livestreams, and comment sections across the Internet.
(Little) Cute Boy Oz(pin)! Explanation This caught on in the fandom as soon as Nora described Ozpin this way for being in Oscar's body. Ozpin wasn't amused; the fandom was. After Volume 6 later revealed Nora has taken to calling Oscar "Cute boy Oz", it became bedded into the fandom, too.
Weiss getting the Princess Peach treatment. Explanation Weiss takes the whole Ice Princess name literally by getting kidnapped, like a certain Princess Peach.
Plucked Away Explanation After it was revealed that Raven can turn into a bird, it led to a few pun jokes about Weiss's kidnapping by Raven.
Family Reunion, yay... Explanation Yang and Raven finally reunite and it is certainly awkward. Not only do they meet after years of Yang searching for her, but Yang beat up Raven's bandits, and Yang isn't even there to reunite with Raven, just to use her to open a portal to Ruby and Qrow. And then Yang finds out Raven kidnapped Weiss.
Stupid Sexy Summon Explanation A reference to the "Stupid Sexy Flanders" meme. In Lighting the Fire, when Weiss summons her knight, the camera holds on the knight's ass which is admittedly pretty thicc.
Make My Arma Gigas Grow! Explanation Weiss's plan B for her escape, after Yang reveals her imprisonment, is to pull a Rita Repulsa and just make her knight bigger. It works.
Fucking with Nora Explanation The first half of the episode "Rest and Resolutions" has one of the first things Weiss and Yang do being done explicitly to freak Nora out; Weiss by summoning a Boarbatusk, Yang by detaching her arm to launch her across the room. Both elicit a scream.
Birds Explanation (spoilers) Raven tells Yang and Weiss about the fact that Ozpin has clandestine followers, secret methods and is opposing an ancient being. She also mentions that Ozpin cursed her and Qrow with their bird transformations. When Yang first sees Ozpin again, guess which part she decides to question him over. As a result, "Birds" became shorthand for that second scene. Even more so when she emphasizes it with horror as though it was his moral event horizon.
Cracked it. Explanation Stating the obvious and then saying "cracked it". Comes from the (paraphrased) line "Oooooh! Raven... Qrow... They're birds! (Beat) Cracked it."
Nora is Yssa. Explanation Adding to the above, Nora's delayed realization very closely matches that of animator Yssa Badiola, who slowly put two and two together live on the RWBY Rewind stream discussing episode 4.
"I can turn into a bird, Ruby, I can turn into a bird!" Explanation A parody video that went viral for its humorous mocking of Raven implying to Yang that being able to turn into a bird is a terrible thing when it's clear she finds it very useful in-universe. Qrow then has to explain to Yang that it was a voluntary choice that he and Raven wanted, so Raven was misleading her. The parody video uses Qrow instead of Raven for the joke to make it funnier.
Belladonna Protection Squad 2018! Explanation Ghira and Kali Belladonna are remarkably well liked in the fandom, and also very easy targets for giving Blake more personal tragedy. Hence a number of fans decided to form a 'protection squad' in hopes of having them survive the season.
"Get out of my house!" Explanation This is Kali's line when the attack on her home starts; the Belladonnas fight back with incredible skill, cementing their position as Memetic Badass in the fandom.
Ilia, the gay icon. Explanation After all but admitting that she was in love with Blake, people noticed that her past as a Faunus that could pass as human and her abilities as a chameleon make her really good at "hiding in plain sight." Coupled with RT's announcement that we'd already met LGBTQ characters, the first canonically queer character truly was hiding in plain sight (which, being a chameleon, is kinda her thing) up until the reveal, which parallels well with people who haven't come out. It also helps that her last name, Amitola, means "Rainbow," plus she can change her skin color.
Pink freckles. Explanation Some people want to ship Ilia with some girl other than Blake. The most common method of enabling that ship is to have Blake introduce the two, and have Ilia immediately get flustered and her freckles turn pink.
A little armor could help. Explanation Back in Volume 4, Ghira chided Blake on her outfit, specifically the amount of skin showing and how little armor she has. Cut forward to Volume 5, Chapter 8, and Ghira ripped off his own armor just before a fight. This has caused the FNDM to call him out on his hypocrisy. It's especially notable because he takes a knife to the shoulder. You know, where his armor was.
Blake Belladonna, Harem Protagonist Explanation With no less than four people who are in love with Blake (Yang, Adam, Sun, and Ilia), fans joke that she has enough love interests to start her own harem anime.
Narukami taught her well. Explanation The main hero of Persona 4 is constantly said to be Blake's teacher, as the Persona fanbase believes that Yu has a harem. This is a popular joke in the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle fandom.
You ruined everything! EVERYTHING! Explanation This line was said by Corsac Albain after his brother Fennec's death. The fact that he shatters his previously calm demeanor and the sheer hamminess of the moment have caused many permutations if the line. Most notably, MurderOfBirds used the line to answer the question "What do I like about RWBY?"
Bad Fennec getting crushed jokes Explanation (spoilers) ever since Fennec got crushed by a balcony in Chapter 10, people have been making bad jokes in the same vein as Penny, Pyrrha, and Torchwick before.
Faunus pancakes Explanation in a similar vein as above, one common joke is that Fennec was flattened into a pancake, adding to existing fandom jokes about pancakes.
FIGHT MOM. Explanation After plenty of death flags waving around, people were worried when Yuma cornered Kali and there was a cut. However, Kali not only soundly defeated him, she did so with a wooden serving platter.
She handed him his ass on a platter. Explanation Again, an unassuming cat wife beat a bat assassin with a serving tray.
Yuma got Yamcha'd! Explanation Yuma getting his ass kicked, and his voice actor led to a bunch of references back to the resident Dragon BallButt-Monkey.
Bad Weiss getting impaled jokes. Explanation (spoilers) "The More The Merrier" ends with Cinder impaling Weiss with her spear. While not the same as the Death jokes with Penny, Pyrrha, Torchwick and Fennec. There are a LOT.
Happy New Year. Explanation (spoilers) Cinder has a habit of ruining holidays; the episode where she killed Pyrrha aired on Valentine's Day, and the episode where Weiss gets impaled by her originally aired December 30th.
Cinder is SephirothExplanation (spoilers) Cinder impales Weiss when her back is turned. Sephiroth is infamous for doing this to Aerith Gainsborough. He even did this in his DEATH BATTLE! against Vergil. (Which was fairly recent at the time)
Matching Scars! Explanation Blake was stabbed through the left side of her stomach, Weiss was impaled through the right side of her ribcage. Some people have suggested that they are now perfect for each other because their scars would mirror each other.
"You thought Vernal was the Spring Maiden,but it was I, Raven!" Explanation Due to how Raven abruptly shouts The Reveal, comparisons to one of Dio Brando's more infamous lines were made.
Jaune the White Mage. Explanation With the long awaited reveal of Jaune's Semblance revealing he has healing powers, comparisons to fantasy healers skyrocketed.
Ruby, let him work. Explanation One of the first things Ruby does on seeing Jaune's action is to lift his hands, risking breaking the connection between him and Weiss mid-heal. The fandom has called her out on this, especially since her next action is to tell Jaune to keep doing what he's doing.
Jaune the Paladin. He even has Lay On Hands! Explanation He's got armor, a sword, and a shield, plus healing abilities. He's also developed something of a self-sacrificing mindset.
Jaune the Druid or Jaune the Bard Explanation Jaune explains that his power isn't healing, but buffing Weiss's aura with his own. Buffing an ally in videogames brings to mind either the Druid from World of Warcraft or Bard character jobs.
Jaune is Mercy jokes. Explanation Almost immediately after the reveal of Jaune's semblance people began comparing him to Mercy, and even drawing him in her outfit.
I NEED HEALING! Explanation A carry over from Overwatch, where bad players (most notoriously, bad Genji mains) have the tendency to spam the "I need healing" command due to getting utterly demolished, when they barely need healing to begin with, or while they're halfway across the map from any Mercy players.
Cinder Fell. Explanation Cinder's literal downfall meant her Meaningful Name gained a new layer of significance. Given a popular fan comic, later made into a skit on RWBY Chibi, made a pun joke about Cinder Fall{ing}, the fandom was hard wired to think along these lines.
Transcending history, and the world, a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold.Explanation (spoilers!) During Cinder and Raven's fight, they wield elemental swords. Raven's crystalline ice sword isn't too dissimilar to Soul Calibur, and Cinder's burning coal sword combined with her Grimm arm bears resemblance to Soul Edge and Nightmare.
Stairway to Haven Explanation Due to Leo being seen in the background on the stairs so much, he started being shipped with the staircase.
Hazel reaction shots. Explanation Everytime Hazel stabs himself with Dust and yells, somebody gives him a nonplussed look. The first time it was Qrow, the second it was Mercury. Screencaps of these faces are now common.
Then perish.Explanation Professor Lionheart's Karmic Death has been compared to a certain variant of the "Hewwo" meme.
Team MEH Explanation Using the Initials As Team Name schema, fans have assigned a team name to Mercury, Emerald, and Hazel as they ran away.
Patch Retreat Explanation Based on the volumes after credits scene, it seems like Raven’s response to Yang telling her off is to possibly return to Tai.
Put some clothes on! Explanation After the Volume 6 trailer dropped, many fans noted that the cast's choice of clothing is rather unfitting for a snowy environment like Atlas (Ren in particular was mocked for not even putting socks on to cover his toes). Changes to Team RWBY's design, like Weiss' new red scarf, were minimal at best and only added to the jokes. Many also noted that the only character to add more clothing was Weiss, the only one used to cold temperatures. Enhanced by the finale which had Cinder and Neo change to more revealing outfits as they prepare to head towards the region.
If Qrow dies we riot... again Explanation The intro for Volume 6 has Qrow being pulled down by what appears to be Grimm arms. This has raised a lot of death flags, indicating Qrow might die. Because of this, there has been a resurgence of the 'Qrow dies, we riot' meme from Volume 4.
Dad Ozpin Explanation Among the more impressive Ozpins (v1-3 Ozpin, the original incarnation Ozma, and a guy who once made a cult around himself along with Salem) in the opening, there's an Ozpin with glasses, a t-shirt, cargo pants, and a relaxed smile that basically looks like your standard suburban dad. Fans immediately started making jokes about him and speculating what he must have done to get included in the line-up (which turned out to be building Ozpin's cane)
Adam the Goat Faunus Explanation Although Adam is canonically a bull Faunus, his habit in Volumes 5 and 6 of dramatically screaming has been derisively compared to a goat, including editing goat screams over moments of Adam yelling and assuming his mask hides rectangular goat eyes. It's also because his horns more resemble those of a goat than a bull.
"Fuck you, Goatman!"Explanation The highly memetic sequence from Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural where Shane Madej taunts a demon dubbed 'Goatman' that supposedly haunts a bridge has become a very popular thing to insult Adam. V6 E11 takes it even further by having Blake and Yang fighting Adam on a large, bridge-like structure, and naturally the fandom took full advantage of that.
Jaune is Ruby's puppy. Explanation Jaune making Ruby promise him that they will see each other again after the group separates has led the community at 4chan to label Jaune as Ruby's puppy who is saddened for being separated from his master. This is helped by Jaune's constant support of Ruby which everyone associates to how dogs are loyal companions who never want to leave your side.
Mistral Girl Explanation The unnamed woman from Mistral who tries to help Cinder before seeing her Grimm arm. Many fans have latched on to her likeable personality in the same vein as the Atlas Cargo Pilot.
Qrow's Coffee Spit Explanation After the reveal that the relic can answer any question, Nora goes off on a tangent, comparing it to a genie and warping around the room. At one point she's yelling in Qrow's ear, which startles him enough that he does a Spit Take with his coffee. The image immediately spread and is often used as a reaction to anything sudden or shocking.
Blue Genie TitsExplanation (spoilers) With the second chapter came the introduction of Jinn, a genie-like figure raising in the Relic of Knowledge. Fans face immediately latched on top the fact that she wears nothing but a chain and is very top heavy. Within a few minutes of the episode's release, there was Rule 34 fanart of the character. It also led to jokes that Rooster Teeth took RWBY off Youtube this season to get away with having tits on-screen.
Phenomenal Cosmic Power...!Explanation (spoilers) A blue figure emerging from a lamp, explicitly noted to be magical, wearing shackles and little else, and having at least a little sass? The comparisons between Jinn and the Genie of Disney fame were inevitable.
#FreeJinn Explanation This one hails from the RWBY Amino community, where censorship policies have led to fanart of Jinn being banned, despite her Barbie Doll Anatomy. This soon became a rallying cry of fan artists wishing to draw her.
Give Qrow a Break Explanation (spoilers) Poor Qrow really has been having a shit time as of late, not only after all the stuff in Volume 5 with Raven/Leo, but now he has to deal with his unwavering faith in Oz being tested as he fights to desperately contain something from the girls and even more so, have them take up a hostile stance on him the moment he opens his mouth to Ruby; even YANG isn't above threatening him now. Given Yang is his sister's child that already deserted Oz for what she learned fans just feel he really needs some kind of break from the horrendous stress.
Maria is unfazed. Explanation (spoilers) Maria Calavera is an apparently normal old woman who, in the space of mere minutes, wound up on a derailed train, witnessing an argument between huntresses and a wizard possessing a farmboy, and saw a hitherto unknown magical entity suddenly emerge from a lamp. The fact that she isn't asking questions has the fandom giving her a memetic Seen It All personality.
Thanos snapped his fingers AGAIN?! Explanation (spoilers) The God of Darkness wipes out all of humanity with ease, and all of them (minus the immortal Salem) die via disintegration from energy. Que all of the "I don't feel so good" or "EVERYONE IS DEAD" jokes. Not only that, the God of Darkness is purple like Thanos, and both are responsible for the destruction of a moon.
Life! Death! Life! Death!Explanation Fans were quick to compare the scene where the brother gods repeatedly revive and kill a terrified Ozma during their fight to Patrick turning the light off and on, as well as other Black Comedy centered jokes on poor Ozma being yanked back and forth while Salem is forced to watch.
Salem/Ozpin did nothing wrong!Explanation (spoilers) Salem and Ozpin were given a very surprisingly sympathetic backstory, with the brother gods actually being portrayed as rather heartless (intentionally or otherwise). The fanbase has acknowledged the tragedy of their history thus.
Salem ruined everything, Ozpin was dead the whole time.Explanation (spoilers) Ozpin was dead when Salem accidentally wrecked the world before he was reincarnated.
Ozpin fucks. Explanation (spoilers) The fact that Ozpin had sex with Salem has been jokingly been given much more attention than the huge plot reveals in the same episode, with this phrase especially popping up a lot.
"I have made more mistakes than any man, women, and child on this planet..." That's an understatement Explanation (spoilers) Ozpin has said multiple times that he has made more mistakes than anyone alive, Lost Fable shows how that doesn’t even begin to describe his life
Still a better parent than Jacques! Explanation (spoilers) As of The Lost Fable, the list of questionable parents includes a woman who was driven to drink away her troubles which forced her children to raise themselves, a woman who abandoned her toddler and later claimed not to care about her, a man who literally locked his child in a tower, two very questionable deities who wiped out humanity at one point, and a near-literal devil woman who possibly accidentally killed her four daughters. And yet, none of them are quite as hated by the FNDM as Jacques Schnee nee Gele.
Marcus is actually worse. Explanation (spoilers) With the reveal in Lost that Marcus Black stole Mercury's semblance, something in universe often considered to be part of somebody's soul, the man has posthumously managed the near-impossible task of being considered a worse parent than Jacques. Or at least, being able to cause debates (both in and out of universe) as to who is actually the worst.
Yet neither of them tops the Madame of the Glass Unicorn. Explanation (spoilers) With the reveal Cinder’s backstory, her stepmother very quickly rocketed to being the worst parent of them all, after only appearing for one episode. Seriously she enslaved her adopted daughter with a shock collar and tortured her, both physically and mentally.
The hearts of men are easily swayed. Explanation (spoilers) After "Uncovered," the fandom expected some dark horrible secret about how Ozpin ruined Salem's life, and were set up to blame him. After "The Lost Fable," though, the fandom was much more sympathetic to him. This line sums up the observations of the fandom's reactions.
So the plot of RWBY is the result of the world's messiest divorce? ... Seems legit.Explanation (spoilers) As a result of Salem fully embracing evil after Ozma refused to follow her plan for their children and how they fought to the death
If I can't have the kids, no one can! Explanation (spoilers) Salem's anger at Ozma trying to escape with the kids resulted in the fight that took their children's lives
I'M PROFESSOR OZPIN! LOOK AT ME!Explanation (spoilers) The fact that Ozma (and all his successors) are unable to die until his task is completed, comparisons between Ozpin and the Meeseeks from Rick and Morty showed up. Best shown in this video by Jake Walker.
Oscar Protection Squad Explanation With everyone turning against Ozpin after his secrets are exposed, a lot of their aggression, even physical, is being directed at Oscar who is serving as Ozpin's host. Fans are rallying in their desire to protect Oscar from suffering abuse aimed at Ozpin.
Oh, no, not another house! Explanation In episode 4, Qrow and Team RWBY end up having to reach a house with a tunnel near by. After spending the past Volume in one, the fandom is incredibly weary of this.
Burn the house down! Explanation (spoilers) They only stay there two episodes, and Weiss gets a moment of awesome by setting it ablaze with alcohol. The catharsis for both the FNDM and Weiss is well celebrated.
Ruby wants to arson too... Explanation (spoilers) Yang set fire to a club, Blake set fire to her house, and Weiss set fire to the barn. Many jokes are had about Ruby being the only one of her team not to commit acts of arson.
Are team RWBY (And Qrow) the good guys?Explanation (spoilers) When team RWBY displays anger towards Ozpin's secret, romantic past with Salem, many questioned whether this was the proper type of reaction, with many people taking different sides of the debate.
Ozpin doesn't deserve Qrow. Explanation Some people have noted how much of Qrow's troubles can be attributed to his continuing loyalty to Ozpin. Given the revelations of what Ozpin has been hiding, this is usually the rallying cry of those trying to paint the man in a dark light.
Leave Oscar alone! Explanation During the confrontation, Qrow punches Ozpin in a rage. Understandable, but since he and Oscar are sharing a body right now, this means Qrow technically hurt Oscar too, who hadn't done anything.
Everyone is valid! Explanation There's also a decent portion of FNDM that insists that everyone's reactions were understandable, and it's more of an inevitable result of such a bad situation than anyone being in the wrong. Thus, there's a lot of memes about the two sides arguing before realizing this.
Right now you're all bursting with negativity. Explanation Some people just feel the drama, while not necessarily unwarranted, is being blown out of proportion. They've taken Maria's line as their own reaction.
Being Oz is suffering.Explanation Due to how he awful his past is, and the way he is treated in the present.
Ozpin needs therapy. He needs all the therapy Explanation Due to all the trauma he has gone through, from dying over and over again to constant set backs and betrayal, and due to his apparent means of coping consisting of mourning and trying to forget everything.
Emerald needs an adult. Explanation Tyrian is particularly creepy toward Emerald once she returns from Mistral, and Salem is very quick to single her out for some psychological warfare. Her extremely unnerved reactions earn her much sympathy from the fanbase.
MEH, new family. Explanation Mercury is quick to defend Emerald against Tyrian, and Hazel steps forward to stoically defend them both. Jokes about Hazel being their new dad abound.
Ice cream waifu returns!Explanation (spoilers) This one came from the long-awaited return of Neopolitan in Chapter 5, who has been MIA since Volume 3. Needless to say, fans were elated.
And with a hat accessory! Explanation Neo returns wearing Roman’s hat. It’s a good look on her.
Small bean with a can of beans Explanation One scene had Ruby triumphantly holding up a can of beans to a hungry Weiss. The simple :D look on her face and excitability have reaffirmed fans of her Moe status. Naturally, the image has spread throughout social media.
Ruby holding things. Explanation The above image has since been photographed to Ruby holding up anything with the same expression of joy on her face. Some examples include smut, shipping stuff, and generally anything the FNDM can think of.
This is fine. Explanation (spoilers) Blake's monotone line as the Apathy were about to kill her; completely not fitting the horror of the situation but making sense in context.
Saphron, more like SapphicCotta-Arc! Explanation (spoilers) We're introduced to one of Jaune's sisters, Saphron, who is married to another woman. Her name is very similar to Sappho, a historical greek poet from the island of Lesbos so famous for being a homosexual woman that sapphic is now a word meaning, "relating to lesbians." (and while we're at it, guess where that word came from?) It seems like it has to be intentional. Additionally, the most contemporary depictions of Sappho are on terracotta pottery. Saphron's wife is named Terra Cotta.
The Daaaaw Face! Explanation (spoilers) Ruby, Weiss, and Yang sport comically adorable faces upon interacting with Jaune's family. They've quickly become memetic, with the fact that Blake has not yet sported such an expression also being commented on.
Blake noms. Explanation Episode 7 features a roughly two-second shot of Blake eating a sandwich. It is literally just that, with no other meaning, but the sound Blake makes combined with how her cat-ears twitch makes the scene look strangely adorable.
HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON?! Explanation (spoilers) Ever since the ending of episode 8 when Blake announced Oscar has gone missing, everyone has been clamoring about finding him as quickly as possible.
YOU ARE GROUNDED, YOUNG MAN! Explanation (spoilers) The FNDM were worrying for the two weeks after the ending of episode 8 when Oscar went missing. They feared Oscar was alone and scared, maybe even going back home or dropping the quest all together, or worse, captured by Cinder and/or Neo. Turns out he was just out buying a combat outfit and reaffirming his desire to fight, and even made them a casserole, none the wiser that RWBY and JN_R have been worried sick trying to find him. The FNDM's emotions were roughly the same as any parent whose child has pulled similar stunts- relief, and disbelieving anger.
Oscar mugged Qrow Explanation Oscar never explains how he got the money to afford his new outfit. When one realizes that Qrow was likely passed out on the steps of the Cotta-Arc household, fans quickly jumped on the idea that Oscar got payback on Qrow for punching him by lifting his wallet and going shopping.
Marcus Black is All For One.Explanation (spoilers) Mercury revealed that when he unlocked his Semblance, his father stole it with his own. This has lead many people to compare him to All For One from My Hero Academia, whose Quirk is similar to Marcus' Semblance.
Crying from a leaf Explanation The scene about the Pyrrha memorial began with Jaune seeing a red autumn leaf fall to the ground. A lot of fans stated that they cried the moment they saw the leaf.
Jaune's a Diabolical MastermindExplanation Jaune's idea to steal an Atlas Airship, combined with the fact that he cheated his way into Beacon with flawlessly forged transcripts, have boosted Jaune's status to that of a Bond Villain.
Let's Play - GTA V - Jaune's HeistExplanation The entire plot of "Stealing from the Elderly" sounds like one of Achievement Hunter's crazy Heist episodes, right down to the plan going balls up and leaving everyone scrambling.
Weiss’s Magical Teleporting Luggage Bag Explanation Weiss is seen carrying a bag of luggage during the attempted Heist. This is despite the fact that A) Weiss shouldn’t have any luggage since she ran away, and B)any luggage she might have had should have presumably lost with luggage earlier in the season when the train was attacked. Then said luggage bag disappears after.
Maria pulled a Zwei Explanation As some fans have pointed out, Maria managing to hid in Weiss’s smaller Luggage Bag is very reminiscent of Zwei’s ability to hide/fit in that small box with all those cans.
“I will send my best men to escort you.” Explanation Despite Cordovin saying she is sending her best men to guard Weiss, they proceed to prove to be quite incompetent.
Argus is Doomed Explanation If those two are Argus’s best soldiers, Argus is frankly doomed.
Baby Can Cry on Command Explanation Adrian, Jaune’s Nephew, is apparently intelligent enough to not only be part of the plan, but realize he needs to distract the guards by crying, as Saphron also realizes.
Adam's doing the Bird Box Challenge.Explanation Around the time of Chapter 10's release in early 2019 which saw Adam donning a thick blindfold instead of his signature mask, Netflix released a film called Bird Box that featured characters wearing blindfolds to avoid seeing creatures that made you commit suicide on sight. The Internet took to doing conventional tasks while blindfolded in what became known as the "Bird Box Challenge." Adam's appearance immediately prompted people to quip that he was taking the challenge too seriously.
BEHOLD THE MIGHT OF ATLAS!Explanation Commander Cordovin's ridiculously hammy lines when piloting a mountain-sized mecha are often used to imply that she herself is not all that mighty.
RULES OF NATURE!Explanation (spoilers) A loose recap of Chapter 11 can be boiled down to, "RWBY and friends fight a Metal Gear." Ruby even runs and jumps on a few missiles like steps, just like Raiden in his game.
"How Adam got his scars" scenariosExplanation (spoilers) The "SDC" brand on Adam's face is commonly assumed to be a Slave Brand burned on him by the Schnee Dust Company. It doesn't stop some people from making up alternate explanations for the scars, often in a form of darkly hilarious accidents, like tripping and falling on a branding machine.
#BumblebeeToTheFace!Explanation The clip of Yang using her motorcycle in a Dynamic EntryCar Fu move to smack down Adam has instantly become popular. Many people have called it beautiful and saluted the bike's sacrifice as a noble service to the community. The fact the vehicle shares a name with the Yang/Blake ship only furthers the clip's popularity.
#AdamIsDeadPartyExplanation To say that the fandom was happy with Adam's death would be an understatement.
Bad Adam dying jokes.Explanation (spoilers) Just like Pyrrha, Roman, and Penny, Adam's death led to many bad jokes throughout the fandom.
Double penetration on the first date!Explanation (spoilers) This one comes from the nature of Adam's just desserts, where he's stabbed both through the back and front by Yang and Blake. The apparent jumpstart to their relationship feels add to the jokes.
Deadheads returns!Explanation (spoilers) Also just like Pyrrha, Roman, and Penny, Adam's death led to the return of the running joke from Volume 3 that no redheads in the show are safe.
If that isn't ironic/He finally got what he deserved.Explanation (spoilers) Coming from a line Tyrian said in Volume 4 after Ruby shot Nora and Adam's "It's time I got what I deserve" line from his short. That Adam died from impalement after he killed Sienna in much the same way was quickly noted.
Bumblebees? More like Killer Bees.Explanation People are also happy that Yang and Blake killed Adam, rather than have him suffer a Disney Villain Death or somehow escape.
Cinder survived worse. Explanation A number of people think Adam could still be alive, with this being cited as the primary argument. This has led to some pretty intense debates in certain parts of the fandom.
Cordovin is worse.Explanation (spoilers) A common response from those that don't apply Alternative Character Interpretation to Cordovin, noting that regardless of how much of the situation is actually the heroes' fault, Cordovin’s attempts to stop the hijackers using the biggest possible weapon at her disposal just to make a statement ended up making things worse.
Maria was right!Explanation (spoilers) Back in "Dead End", Maria mocks Cordovin by saying Atlas stationed her in Argus just to get her as far away from Atlas as possible. After seeing Cordovin's Disproportionate Retribution and her soldiers' willingness to both support and indulge in said behavior, many began thinking Maria was correct in her assertion, even if only by coincidence.
ZA WARUDO!Explanation (spoilers) While facing off against a massive city-destroying Grimm, Ruby tries to use her Silver Eyes and fails. Her solution to give herself a moment to calm down? Abuse the Required Secondary Powers of the Relic of Knowledge, which stops time whenever Jinn is released to give herself a chance to refocus on her positive memories. It works even better because Jinn is essentially a spiritual manifestation, not unlike a Stand.
IT'S SUMMER!Explanation (spoilers) Summer finally getting a full 3D model and making a quick cameo before Ruby blasts the Leviathan quickly became the focus of the volume, but it also brought to mind an old in-fandom meme from Volume 4, where in a leaked video showing Ruby's character short from that year before it was released to the public, someone was heard screaming "IT'S SUMMER!" when Ruby first appeared. Someone even went and edited the infamous line over Summer's cameo.
Summer Rose is Nana ShimuraExplanation (spoilers) Much like the "Marcus is All For One" meme above, Summer's cameo in the finale, with her looking over her shoulder to smile at Ruby, reminded a lot of fans of Nana Shimura from My Hero Academia, especially since the two characters are both long-deceased women with white capes and similar hairdos.
