Volume 9, Epilogue:
# Volume 9 Bonus Ending Animatic"
"And we're Back for the Finale!"
Tropes in this episode include:
- The Bus Came Back: Port and Oobleck are seen again for the first time since Volume 4, leading the Vale refugees into Vacuo. Raven appears for the first time since Volume 5 (not counting the flashback in Volume 9), bringing the Ever After team to the pyramid.
- Call-Back: Qrow catches a man who trips thanks to his Semblance, similar to how Clover caught him in "Ace Operatives".
- Dramatic Irony:
- Neon said how no one came for them when they needed help, unaware that the other Kingdoms did see it, but couldn't get to Atlas fast enough.
- Oscar says that he wishes he could have been as certain and steadfast as Ruby. Ruby's entire arc in the Ever After was demonstrating that she was not as certain or steadfast as she projected, and putting up that front nearly destroyed her.
- The Vacuan's anti-Atlesian attitudes take on an ironic twist because they lump all Atlesians together, unaware that Atlas’ wealth and power was concentrated in its flying city and most of the people they’re targeting are from Mantle and were just as oppressed as they were. When one chucks a rock at the arriving refugees, it nearly hits a Mantle orphan.
- Fantastic Racism: The people of Vacuo have a less than savory view on their Atlesian immigrants. Justified given Atlesians had been colonizing them according to World of Remnant and invaded them during the Great War, something that is very fresh in Vacuo's psyche.
- Five Stages of Grief: All the narrators of the animatic are in different stages with their segment reflecting it:
- Nora is Depression, being the most disheartened of the group.
- Oscar is Denial, trying to fight the merge with Ozpin and stubborn that the others are somehow still out there.
- Ren is Bargaining, dealing with maintaining his composure and trying to keep it together.
- Winter is Anger, hating herself as she believes this whole mess is her with fault and dealing with refuges who hate how stage of the world is right now.
- Qrow is Acceptance, being the most optimistic of the group and still hoping there's a way for them.
- Graffiti of the Resistance: Pro-Crown and anti-refugee slogans can be seen on Vacuo's walls. One even defaces Team RWBY's grave.
- Hope Bringer: Robyn brings Qrow to see a painting of Ruby, surrounded by candles and with the slogan "Remember Her Message". When Ruby finally arrives to see all of the different kingdoms' ships gathered in Vale, Qrow replies that her message is what brought the world together.
- I Got Bigger: The most notable indicator of the Time Skip is that Whitley is now as tall as his mother.
- Irony: Qrow, the eternal pessimist, is the only person who finds hope in their current situation. Thanks to his evolved Semblance and influence from Clover, he's started to look on the bright side of things and try to be optimistic, even though he admits things are worse than they've ever been.
- It's All My Fault: Winter's narration shows that she blames herself for the loss of Atlas, the Relics, and Penny's life, due to her obedience to Ironwood.
- Kick the Dog: A couple of Vacuans start chucking rocks at an Atlesian child, saying they have "no need for orphans here". They back down pretty quickly when Nora intervenes, however.
- Loose Canon: The story is the general idea of what the production wanted as the original ending to Volume 9 but was cut out due to constraints and what they want to possibly adapt to Volume 10.
- Painful Transformation: Now that both Oscar and Ozpin are actively resisting the merge, it's coming in painful flashes that leave them curled up on the floor.
- Picture Drama: It is treated like this as an animatic, a voiced limited animation medium with some added production notes.
- Recovered Addict: Willow Schnee looks longingly at a man drinking from a bottle, and Qrow, another former alcoholic, reassures her "one step at a time".
- Shaming the Mob: Nora does this to a pair of Vacuo citizens attacking an Atlas orphan.
- Shrine to the Fallen: Because there's no bodies to be found and no way they survived, the team in Vacuo eventually construct a tombstone for Team RWBY and Jaune and give them a formal burial.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Willow, Whitley, and to a lesser extent Winter are blamed for Jacques’ actions, with one former Mantle citizen yelling “Not so high and mighty now, are you?” at Willow while she’s handing out bread. They take this as penance for their complacency.
- Time Skip: The animatic takes place over a number of months as the rest of the team deal with the fall of Atlas, resettling into Vacuo, the loss of Vale, and losing their friends.
- Uncertain Doom: It is mentioned that Salem had attacked Vale, not much detail is given other than how there is "nothing left". Port and Oobleck made it out, Taiyang is nowhere to be seen, and Glynda is also mentioned to be missing in the chaos, having gone "looking for help".
- Wham Line: Port revealing that Salem has destroyed Vale.
- Wham Shot: The Crown makes a return, with Jax and Gillian being recruited by Tyrian.
