World of Remnant
Starting in Volume 2, world-building episodes were aired that form part of the mini-series known as the World of Remnant.The Volume 2 episodes are narrated by the mysterious female narrator who introduces the show at the beginning of the pilot episode.
The episodes are: Dust, Kingdoms, Grimm and Aura.
In General
- Ambiguously Human: The Female Narrator sounds human enough, but constantly speaks as though she is lecturing about a world she is not a part of, often referring to humanity in terms of 'them' or 'they'. The language raises the question of whether she's a member of the human race or somehow separated from it.
- Unreliable Narrator: She speaks in terms of what humanity knows about its world, but always ends her episodes with an ominous hint that she knows things that humanity doesn't, and that the truth isn't necessarily what she's just explained in the episode. For example, in the 'Dust' episode, she hints that the origin of Dust isn't what humanity thinks it is, while in the 'Grimm' episode, she hints that there's a dark reason for why the Grimm are so determined to kill humanity.
Dust
"...but, in reality, it is much, much more."
"Dust. By definition, it is a naturally occurring energy propellant that can be triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus..."
— Female Narrator
Dust is the world's natural energy. Not only does civilisation and technology depend on Dust, the weaponisation of it is what makes Huntsmen so deadly against the Grimm.
This episode first aired between the episodes Painting the Town and Extracurricular.
- Abnormal Ammo: Dust can be used for practical applications, such as ammunition. Modern weapons are built to use Dust cartridges; this allows a user to simply choose a cartridge of whatever Dust effects they wish to achieve when firing their weapon. This is considered the standard method of using Dust in the modern era.
- Amplifier Artifact: Dust allows Aura to be amplified to achieve far more powerful effects than either Dust or Aura alone are capable of.
- Clothes Make the Superman: Dust can be woven into clothing to achieve a variety of elemental effects. The visual effects display a coat that can burst into flames. This is considered an ancient method of using Dust.
- Colour Coded Elements: For the purpose of the episode, the four basic types of Dust are colour-coded depending on which element it can produce: the fire Dust is red, the water Dust is blue, the earth Dust is yellow and the wind Dust is green.
- Elemental Powers: When Dust is used in its raw form, it can produce elemental effects depending on which type of Dust is being used. The episode uses the example of a person summoning both lightning and storm winds.
- Foreshadowing: The reference to people being able to fuse raw Dust into their bodies was deliberately added because it was already known at that point that a character would eventually be introduced who fought by infusing his body with Dust crystals.
- Green Rocks: In its raw form, Dust is a crystal that can be found anywhere in Remnant. When applied to objects, weapons, clothing or people, then activated with Aura, it can have magic-like effects.
- Magic A Is Magic A: Dust requires Aura to be triggered, can be woven into clothing, used raw, infused into a person's body, or manufactured into ammo. Dust's importance is paramount in the survival of Remnant, but humanity doesn't know its origin. It also will not function outside the planet's atmosphere, making Dust-powered space missions impossible. It may sound like magic, but it's not.
- Weather Manipulation: Humans can use Dust in their raw form; this is described as an elegant and destructive use of Dust, and the description is accompanied by the visual of a person tossing Dust into the sky to create thunder and lightning. The narrator warns that attempting to use Dust in this form requires the user to be extremely disciplined; it's easy to lose control of Dust this way.
Kingdoms
"...as long as they stand united."
"Yes, the world of Remnant is indeed a dangerous place. But the four kingdoms stand as beacons of hope, as safe havens from the darkness that surrounds them. They are the key to mankind's survival..."
— Female Narrator
Humanity's ability to survive on the dangerous world of Remnant rests on the durability of four Kingdoms that are protected from the Grimm by technological and geographic defences.
This episode first aired between the episodes Dance, Dance Infiltration and Field Trip.
- Cliffhanger: The Female Narrator ends the episode by reiterating how dangerous the world of Remnant is and that the key to humanity's survival is the ability of the four Kingdoms to stand united. Her voice is sly and ominous; as she speaks, the beacons of light representing the four Kingdoms on the map suddenly extinguish like snuffed-out candles and the camera abruptly fades to black.
- Conscription: The kingdoms don't have standing armies. They only call on their citizens when there is a need to do so. The exception is Atlas, which maintains a permanent army.
- Death World: Remnant is a dangerous place to live for humanity. Grimm swarm the planet, living in every conceivable environment and all focussed for unknown reasons on destroying humanity. As a result, humans can only thrive in places that afford a combination of good geographical and technological defences, such as the four Kingdoms of Remnant.
- Detonation Moon: The episode begins with a camera angle from space. As the camera pans around Remnant like a satellite, the moon comes into view, the shattered side of the moon appearing first.
- Extranormal Institute: The Huntsmen Academies are briefly introduced, with the Female Narrator stating their sole purpose is to train the next generation of warriors who will defend the lifestyle to which the humans have grown accustomed. The visuals show the Huntsmen fighting the Grimm in force.
- Hope Spot: The narrator concludes the episode by summarising how dangerous a world Remnant is, and how the four Kingdoms stand as beacons of hope against the dangers of this world, guaranteeing mankinds survival against the odds. She ominously warns that this is actually true only for as long as the four kingdoms stand united. The episode promptly ends with the four kingdoms being snuffed out of of existence. The narrator strongly implies that the hope humanity is placing in these four kingdoms for their own survival is, in the long-run, doomed to fail.
- The Omniscient Council of Vagueness: Each kingdom is run by a council whose job it is to see to the needs of their kingdom. They're not defined beyond this brief, vague description. However, they are implied to stand above the military and Huntsmen in terms of kingdom hierarchy.
- Settling the Frontier: The narrator mentions that there are nomads and villages in the wilds outside the kingdoms. A visual is shown of a group of people, covering different age-groups, all travelling with their belongings. However, the narrator warns that, while it's common for people to try and live outside the kingdoms, it's also common for these people and their towns to "disappear overnight".
- Walking the Earth: It's not uncommon for people to live a nomadic life outside the kingdoms, never settling down anywhere to live. Like the villages that exist outside the kingdoms, nomads don't very often survive for long.
Grimm
"Little else is known about the Creatures of Grimm."
"The Creatures of Grimm; a ravenous, destructive force that covers the majority of Remnant. While often referred to simply as 'Grimm' in the common vernacular, these beings serve as the greatest foe to mankind. For as long as humanity can recall walking the surface of Remnant, so do they remember this wicked force."
— Female Narrator
An introduction to the Creatures of Grimm, some of the theories about what they are and why they exist, including their behaviours and the threat they pose to humanity's existence.
This episode first aired between the episodes Mountain Glenn and No Brakes.
- Animalistic Abomination: The Grimm are described both as a 'ravenous, destructive force' and as a 'wicked force' that covers most of Remnant, while the planet is shown in a visual being grasped by a clawed, inhuman hand. They are mankind's greatest foe, but humanity has no idea what the origin of these creatures is, why they appear to not need sustenance, and why these creatures seem hell-bent on destroying humanity and its creations.
- Bring It Back Alive: Grimm corpses only exist for a short period of time before they dissolve away. As a result, studying the Grimm requires hunters to try and bring them back alive. This is rarely successful as the Grimm don't tend to last long in captivity, often managing to escape and kill their captors.
- The Darkness Gazes Back: The episode opens onto a black screen. A pair of inhuman eyes open to stare at the audience, glowing shades of red and yellow while an animalistic growl can be heard.
- Demonic Possession: One of the theories possessed by ancient humans for the origin and nature of the Grimm was that they were ordinary animals that were possessed by evil spirits. This theory was eventually debunked due to the discovery of other, more horrific, forms of Grimm that don't fit this theory.
- Got the Whole World in My Hand: The narrator introduces the Grimm as a ravenous, destructive force that covers the majority of Remnant. As she announces this, the visual shows the world of Remnant cradled in the palm of a monster's clawed hand, before it abruptly closes its fist, crushing the world. The next visual shows silhouetted Grimm claws surrounding the sun and then blotting it out into darkness.
- It Can Think: The Grimm are usually regarded as mindless beasts. However, closer research has shown that this isn't always true. Younger Grimm are reckless but older Grimm learn from experience and become more cautious over time, allowing them to become more effective killers.
- Kill All Humans: The Grimm exclusively attack humans and their creations. The only documented skirmishes between Grimm and wildlife have been over territorial disputes and do not appear to be connected to the need for sustenance. The Grimm do not appear to need to feed at all. They choose to feed. Why, and why they're hunting down humanity, are mysteries that humanity has not solved. The Female Narrator states that, in the end, killing is all that matters.
- No Body Left Behind: When a Grimm is killed, its body remains for only a short period of time before evaporating away in a plume of black smoke. This makes it extremely hard for scientists to study the Grimm and learn what they are. It's also a problem for sportsmen, who are left with nothing to mount after they've killed the Grimm they've been hunting; they instead rely on cheap taxidermic recreations.
- Our Spirits Are Different: One of the theories possessed by ancient humans for the origin and nature of the Grimm was that they were the spirits of animals that had been tortured. This theory was eventually debunked due to the discovery of other, more horrific, forms of Grimm that don't fit this theory.
Aura
"It does not, however, make the user invincible."
"Aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, whether they are a meagre shopkeeper or a renowned knight. However, what sets true warriors apart from all others is their ability to amplify and control their Aura."
— Female Narrator
This episode explores what Aura and Semblances are, and what the relationship is between the two.
This episode was originally a DVD-only exclusive, but is now publicly accessible.
- The Ace: Huntsman are considered the world's best warriors. Although they are skilled in a wide variety of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, it is their mastery of using Aura in battle that gives them the edge over other types of trained fighters.
- Colour-Coded Characters: Aura doesn't have a single colour. Every person has an Aura colour that is personal to them. Ren's Aura is shown to be pink, Ruby's is red and Sun's is yellow.
- Deflector Shields: A passive use for Aura consists of Huntsmen learning to coat themselves in a layer of Aura, which protects them from be damaged when attacked. It can even protect them from what would normally be a fatal blow.
- Foreshadowing: The episode talks about how a Huntsman with enough training and focus can become much more than just a man. The visual aid that accompanies this statement is a silhouette of the enigmatic Professor Ozpin. In Volume 5, he gives Team RNJR exactly the same advice the Female Narrator imparts to the audience here about the benefits of continuing to train and develop both Aura and Semblances.
- Ki Manipulation: Huntsmen learn how to amplify and control their Aura so that they can use it in a range of different ways to both protect them as a defensive barrier and actively use it as part of their attacking strategies. Each person is able to learn how to project their Aura in a unique manner to achieve specific effects; examples used in the episode include Glynda's telekinesis ability and Yang's super-strength.
- Life Energy: Aura is a manfestation of the soul and is considered the life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant. Huntsmen are such dangerous warriors because they are trained to amplify and control their Aura in battle.
- Mana: Aura is not unlimited. As it is used, it depletes until it runs out. Once a Huntsman has run out of Aura, they are vulnerable to injury and death when attacked.
- One Person, One Power: Aura can be projected to manifest an ability that is unique to each person. This manifestation is known as a Semblance. Every person has only one Semblance, which can do one thing. However, with constant training, a person can strengthen their Aura and therefore their Semblance. Some of the Semblances displayed in the episode are Glynda's (telekinesis), Yang's (super-human strength), Blake's (cloning) and Ruby's (super-speed).
- Power Glows: In the episode, Aura is shown manifesting around people like a flame, each one individually colour-coded based on the character's personal colour symbolism. Examples include a silhouette of Ren surrounded a pink flame, Ruby with a red flame and Sun with a yellow flame; a blacksmith working at his forge is shown surrounded by an Aura that glows like natural fire.
