Protagonists
Darkness
The God of Darkness (aka Dr. Shade)
A bored god, one of the creators of mankind, teacher of our young heroes.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: The God of Darkness eventually becomes this, coming to care deeply about RPYJ and BRWN, and even regretting what he did in the past.
Glynda Goodwitch
Professor Glynda Goodwitch
"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back... and a slap on the wrist!"
"We wouldn't want [Jaune] to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now, would we?"
A Huntress and teacher of Beacon Academy that comes to Ruby's rescue in the first episode. A member of Ozpin's secret circle, Glynda fights with a riding crop named Disciplinarian and her Semblance "Telekinesis", which allows her to move objects with her mind and even fix objects that have been broken, as if she's rolling back the clock to a pre-broken state.
- Alliterative Name: An imperfect example as Glynda Goodwitch only produces the same sound when the first name is spoken in a clumsy fashion.
- Arson, Murder, and Lifesaving: She scolds Ruby for fighting so recklessly and endangering lives in the process, culminating in her saying Ruby should be sent home with a pat on the back... she then averts the trope by returning to her focus on punishment and concluding that Ruby should also be sent home with a slap on the wrist, emphasising her statement by whipping the table near Ruby's hand.
- Badass Cape: In opposition to the rest of her attire, Goodwitch wears a black cape with purple lining. The back of the cape is adorned with Glynda's crown symbol, and ends in tatters shaped like arrowheads. This has done nothing to detract from her record of fighting on even ground with Cinder and nonchalantly knocking Grimm out around her.
- Badass Teacher: A teacher and a powerful sorceress who first appears to protect Ruby from one of Torchwick's Dust-enhanced explosions. She provides the first introduction of both a Huntress and a magical duel when she fights off Cinder and protects Ruby from harm. She's later confirmed to be the elite Beacon Academy's combat instructor.
- Barrier Warrior: When Ruby is about to be blasted by Roman in the pilot episode, Glynda appears from nowhere and deflects Roman's attack with an energy shield made of glyphs. Attack bounce off the barrier as though the barrier is a trampoline that has been turned on its side.
- Big Damn Heroes: She's introduced dropping down out of the air to block Roman's attack against Ruby, who up until that moment had the heroine on the ropes. With Glynda's arrival, the villain, Roman is forced to retreat.
- Boring, but Practical: One of Glynda's most frequently-seen attacks is a brief, close-range pulse of telekinetic power projected from the tip of her wand. It's nothing flashy or particularly impressive, but the sheer force of the blast is typically powerful enough to One-Hit Kill any Grimm unlucky enough to get caught in it, as observed in "Breach" and again in "Heroes and Monsters".
- Cleavage Window: Due to her high collar, she possesses a very centralized opening in her blouse that exposes some of her cleavage.
- Curse Cut Short: Ozpin cuts her off when she accuses James Ironwood of treating everything like a "contest of measuring di-".
- Deadpan Snarker: Her prim and proper exterior is complimented by her incredibly sharp wit, often snarking at her hyperactive students and making jabs at close friends.Glynda: Trouble sleeping?
Ironwood: Arm was acting up.
Glynda: Of course. So, logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely, and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance. - Entertainingly Wrong: As she watches team JNPR meet up in "The Emerald Forest pt 1" she states that she feels sorry for Ren, who has just teamed up with Nora, and that she doesn't know how they will get along. Ren and Nora are childhood friends and get along incredibly well.
- Establishing Character Moment: Glynda steps in to defend Ruby, calmly stops bullets with an elaborate magical shield, nearly shoots down Cinder's airship with her magic, and then sternly tells Ruby not to get into trouble again. This minute and a half tells us that Glynda's a badass sorceress, protector of the peace, stern yet fair, and more than worthy of her position as Team Good's lieutenant.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Plays the Bad Cop in the first episode, criticizing Ruby's reckless attack of Torchwick in the middle of a built-up area and scaring her by smacking the table next to her hand with her whip. She introduces Ozpin via an implication that the only reason she's not going to send Ruby home in disgrace is because Ozpin wants to talk to her, setting him up as the "friendly cop" before he's even entered the room. This allows him to ply her full of cookies to soften the fact he's interrogating her personality before offering her a place at his academy.
- Good Is Not Nice: Glynda is a heroine, and a professional Huntress, but she has no qualms criticizing her students if they behave badly. In particular, she admonishes the headmaster, Ozpin, for letting in a younger student.
- Lady of Black Magic: In addition to her stylish blouse and pencil skirt, she wears a cape that gives her a magician's air. She has a commanding presence and carries herself with stern grace. Her primary method of fighting is with a riding crop, through which she directs her attacks by pointing towards her targets, being they people, Grimm or inanimate objects. Between her telekinetic Semblance and her ability to focus Dust into unique effects, her style of fighting resembles magic: she can create defensive shields, create lethal showers of ice daggers, drag storm clouds into the area and kick up storm winds. She can also toss Grimm aside with barely a glance just by swishing her riding crop as she walks by. She can even rebuild broken buildings and mend holes in the street just by using telekinesis.
- Little "No": When she and Qrow are fighting the Grimm during the Battle of Beacon, they're stopped cold by a shock wave that resonates through the streets. While even the other adult Huntsmen seem confused, Glynda instantly recognizes the cause, letting out a quiet "No...." just before a mountain overlooking Mountain Glenn shatters, releasing a massive Grimm Dragon that had been locked within.
- Magic Wand: Glynda's weapon is a leather riding crop which she wears in a holster strapped to the outside of her right boot. Whenever she uses her telekinetic Semblance, she wields the riding crop as a wand, pointing it at the target of her power. Objects she's moving through the air will move in accordance with the direction she moves the riding crop in. That, combined with the strength and flexibility of her telekinesis, gives her the appearance of performing magical acts, such as the time she fought Cinder — she pointed her wand at the sky which defined the location in which she created a purple circle of glyphs; from that circle, storm clouds appeared and rained down shards of ice which she used her wand and two extended fingers to direct at Cinder's airship like darts.
- Mind over Matter: Her Semblance. She can levitate a large number of objects and put them together however she likes. She has mastered her Semblance to a level where she can effectively rewind the clock on damage, restoring broken things back to their pre-broken state. This is very useful while acting as damage control for the antics of her students or putting the city back together after Grimm attacks.
- Ojou Ringlets: Huntsmen are held in extremely high standing throughout the Kingdoms. As a huntress who is second-in-charge of Vale's elite Huntsman Academy, she commands great respect. Her stern face is softened by the ringlets that frame her features and her personal symbol is a tiara.
- Perpetual Frowner: With her stoic demeanor, she's never seen smiling, even in lighthearted moments; she's even snarling at her students' antics, even though Ozpin is more easy-going about it. The only moments she drops the frown are in her more vulnerable moments as she wearily voices her concern for the students, seeing they're supposed to become the defenders of the world.
- Prim and Proper Bun: Compared to Ozpin's laid-back attitude and amused tolerance for Ruby's ditzy behaviour, she's stern, restrained and seems as frustrated by Ozpin's attitude as by Ruby's. Even her kindness is stern: when she compliments Ruby, her tone of voice is firm and professional and is quickly followed by an admonishment of Ruby's reckless heroics.
- Purple Is Powerful: Her cape and the magic sigils that appear when she's casting spells are all colored purple, and she is powerful enough to restore a broken city into its rightful state without breaking a sweat.
- Surveillance as the Plot Demands: Has an iPad-like device (called a "Scroll" in-universe) that captured Ruby's battle with the Mobsters even though Glynda was nowhere to be seen. It shows her every student in the exam, even close up, and not one of them notices it. It's another reference to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Glinda the Good had a magic book that recorded everything that happened in Oz.
- Tranquil Fury: On more than one occasion, Glynda is seen to be barely containing herself from lashing out, but still acts with the utmost composure.
- When Glynda marches into the dining hall after the Food Fight, she gives off a small growl upon seeing the state of the room. However, instead of exploding at the perpetrators, she chastises them in a firm, disappointed tone.Glynda: Children. Please... Do not play with your food.
- After the successive interventions of Team JNPR, the Atlesian Military, and Team CFVY against the Grimm invading Vale, Glynda shows up, furiously strolling towards the breach and silently wiping out Grimm without even looking at them, before sealing the breach within seconds.
- When Glynda marches into the dining hall after the Food Fight, she gives off a small growl upon seeing the state of the room. However, instead of exploding at the perpetrators, she chastises them in a firm, disappointed tone.
- Weather Manipulation: During the pilot episode, Glynda battles Cinder in an attempt to stop Roman escaping custody. In her attempt to ground the ship, Glynda creates a circle of purple glyphs in the air from which storm clouds appear. They rain down shards of ice that Glynda directs with her riding crop and two fingers to strike the ship like darts.
- Whip of Dominance: Glynda carries a riding crop which acts as both a wand and a means to intimidate her listeners when she needs to punctuate her words for emphasis. Coupled with her messy bun, glasses, stern demeanour, cleavage-exposing pencil-thin dress and knee-high boots, her appearance carries a dominatrix overtone.
- Wizard Duel: With Cinder, who had gained the powers of a Maiden and had magical attacks. Glynda responds with similar magic-like abilities granted by her Semblance.
