The First Step, Parts 1 & 2
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene."
"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
— Professor Ozpin
In Part 1, the students are introduced to the initiation process.
In Part 2, the pairing of Ruby and Weiss gets off to a rocky start.
Tropes in these episodes include:
- Art Shift: Firstly the Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes Cereal Box. For added fun, the background and brand label even fall into the scene after the conversation continues. Secondly Ruby's thoughts upon landing in the forest are visually stylized akin to the Rooster Teeth Animated Adventures.
- Blade Brake: Applied by both Ruby and Ren as part of their landing strategies.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: Weiss turns away and walks off upon finding out that Ruby is her partner, sees that the alternative is Jaune, walks back and drags Ruby off, all within the space of 25 seconds.Weiss: By no means does this make us friends. [drags Ruby by her hood]
Ruby: You came back! - Cliffhanger: Weiss is alone and a pack of Beowolves appear as the episode ends.
- Dragged by the Collar: Weiss does this to Ruby after seeing that her next option for a partner is Jaune.
- Genki Girl: Introducing Nora Valkyrie, who will remain as such until the reveal of her backstory in Volume 4. (Though most of the other girls all have their moments too.)
- Insane Troll Logic: Yang suggests that Ruby should try making friends because it's part of the process of growing up. Ruby objects to this, stating that she doesn't need other people to help her grow up because she drinks milk.
- Leitmotif: A form of "I Burn" appears as Yang flies through the air. "Mirror, Mirror" also reappears when Ruby runs into Weiss.
- Luck-Based Mission: The first student you make eye contact with after being launched into the Emerald Forest will be your partner for the duration of your education (four years). A rather chancy way to make such a decision, apparently leaving it to the wills of Fate. Ruby naturally tries to find her sister when she lands, considering a few other options preferable as she does, but finds Weiss first (which was not a "preferable option"), much to both of their chagrin. Weiss at first refuses to accept that Ruby is now her partner, but the next person she comes upon is Jaune stuck in a tree, so she reluctantly goes back to Ruby. Meanwhile, Jaune is ultimately found by Pyrrha, whom Weiss originally wanted to partner with.
- Not the Fall That Kills You…: Played straight, as literally every student should have died a gruesome and horrible death after being flung off the cliff like they were. Special mention to Yang for keeping her momentum going TWICE and still refusing to obey the laws of physics.
- Pinned to the Wall: Happens to Jaune twice by Pyrrha. First time was in the locker room when Weiss asked for help to get some space between her and Jaune. The second time was when she pinned him to the tree to save him due to the latter lacking a landing strategy.
- Recognition Failure: Jaune fails to recognize the Famed In-Story celebrity Pyrrha Nikos despite Weiss telling him of her accolades. He only gets excited about her when Weiss tells him that she is on the front of the Pumpkin Pete's cereal box.
- The Spartan Way: The initiation at Beacon Academy is to be launched at high speeds into a forest full of monsters to fight through them and take a "Relic" from a temple.Ozpin: Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die.
- Three-Point Landing: Ruby demonstrates how it's done as the finale to her landing strategy, complete with dramatic head snap, lacking only a dramatic explosion behind her.
"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!"
