These are recommendations made by Tropers for RWBY general fanfic, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own finding to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
Other types of stories must be added to the appropriate sub-page:
- Me and My
Friends Go On a Little Adventure! by crazynova- Recommended by: misterom
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Blake is feeling a bit grumpy…so Ruby and her friends go on a little adventure to cheer her up!
- Comments: The ultimate RWBY Crack/Troll Fic…with a twist. I dare anyone reading this to find a RWBY fanfic crazier than this one. It’s only 10 chapters long, so it’s also easy to read…but not easy to keep your sanity while doing so.
- Ready or Not by Exiled Immortal
- Recommended by: Yotambonehbait
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Before they ever reach Beacon, the girls who would become RWBY each find their lives upended by an unprecedented threat and a mysterious ally. A story where the final battle is fought in the past.
- Comments: One of the better Time-travel fics I’ve read. Fast-paced and brutal, this short-ish fic ends up relatively self contained, though the author has said they may come back to it with a sequel.
- Pyre of Destiny by Exiled Stormwalker
- Recommended by: Capeclare
- Status: Dead (Mar, 2022)
- Synopsis: Salem has won, all of Remnant bows to her, yet when all seems lost, when the Grimm have pushed what's left of team RWBY to their limit, a mysterious storm sends Blake Belladonna and her daughter twenty years into the past, giving them a chance to right decades of wrongs. But their family is scattered, and the past is not what it should be.
- Comments: An excellent Time-travel fic, exploring interesting and unique fascets of the cas who lived very different lives even before Salem won & they were flung back in time along with superb actions and intriguing and dynamic plot developments!
- Abaddon by SolidSnake10101
- Recommended by: TheDarkOne1995
- Status: Dormant; last updated January 2021
- Synopsis: During the Fall of Beacon Ruby gets taken once the power of the silver eyes knocks her unconscious. Now waking up alone in cell, Ruby is tortured and broken to become the one thing she swore to destroy: Grimm.
- Pairing(s): Ruby Rose/Pyrrha Nikos
- Comments: Set in an Alternate Universe where Jaune Arc is killed during the climax of the Battle of Beacon instead of Pyrrha, although the Sanctum Academy ace still takes an arrow to the knee- er, Achillies' Tendon and is confined to a wheelchair, while Ruby Rose herself is kidnapped and taken to Salem's Castle, where she is tortured, beaten, and generally broken by Salem, Cinder, and their flunkies, only to be remolded and transfigured into Salem's very own Darth Vader clone, a Grimm-Human hybrid known as Abaddon. Honestly, it is very difficult not to feel sad for Ruby, Pyrrha, and Ruby's family, while wishing a slow and painful death upon Salem and her faction.
- The Fallen Maiden
- Recommended by Somedude 94
- Status: Completed
- Synopsis: Pyrrha Nikos had been willing to give up almost everything to fulfill her destiny to protect the people of Remnant; almost everything, except the very thing which was taken. Now, driven by loss and regret, she has little room in her heart except for one goal, one destiny: to make Cinder Fall pay for what she has done.
- Comments: One of the AU fics where Jaune dies instead of Pyrrha (though the circumstances are different), focusing on Pyrrha’s quest for revenge in an alternate Volume 4. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but so far it’s an interesting read with some absolutely nail-bitingly tense action sequences. It’s worth checking out.
- A Grimm Fate, by crusader76
- Recommended by Spade_27
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The Grimm are the scourge of humanity, but what if one of them became like us. How would it function in this new body and how would its choices affect the world around it. Follow along as a young alpha Beowolf turned Faunus tries to answer... can a monster have a soul?
- A Harvest of Dust, by Zetashark
- Recommended by Circlechains, Enderheisenberg
- Status: Cancelled with outline of ending
- Synopsis: In which a RWBY fan is dropped into Remnant, becoming Amber. She will survive impossible odds, bring hope to the most desperate, and lead an unlikely resistance to end a well-entrenched threat. All powered by confusion and morbid curiosity!
- Comments: A weird choice to insert as protagonist, but this story brings up many unique scenarios typical SIs brush over or settle with cliches. For example, in the first couple of chapters, Amber's enemies gave her more credit than her allies such as Ozpin. Its pacing is a bit slow to counterbalance the Serial Escalation nature of its arcs. Things on Remnant do not immediately change their course when Amber comes into contact with them, and Amber herself is not a fighter in her previous life but a travel writer. Note, that this story shares some settings with Redemption, but unfortunately is also written in the present tense like Redemption.
- Alternate locations at AO3, and the Spacebattles forum.
- Has a Tropes page: A Harvest of Dust
- Alternate locations at AO3
- A Light in the Dark, by kingxana0
- Recommended by Lurkerking
- Status: Dead (last updated February 2017)
- Synopsis: Cinder Fall is a young huntress who has recently been accepted into the world-famous Beacon Academy, a school that will train her to fight the evil forces of the Grimm. Of course with the evil Blood Rose family, lead by the evil crime boss Ruby Rose taking action from the shadows who knows how she will survive.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: Enjoyable, through it is only recently coming into its own as an AU, the first chapters are a bit too close too the main story, almost to the point of copying.
- A Man of No Tribe, by Ikedawg43
- Recommended by ThePoarter
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Although taken in by Raven and her Tribe as a kid, Jaune never saw eye to eye with the Spring Maiden, for both practical and moral reasons. When Raven sends him to Beacon to spy on Ozpin, Qrow, and Yang, Jaune must decide what lines he is willing to cross in order to become his own master. What good is being a better person than Raven if you're too weak to break free from her?
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- A More Flawed Gem by Eric d’Orléans and Jojo Salatcia
- Recommended by Teslashark
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: All Beacon proved to be for Pyrrha Nikos was training for her shiny new career in the illustrious field of idiot wrangling. When life forces her to lead a team of anti-social weirdos, morally deplorable thieves, and manic depressive losers, she’s got to balance her increasingly fragile sanity against a team hell-bent on becoming the clear and present danger to the future of Remnant through their own sheer incompetence. With the White Fang and Grimm both smarter, tougher, and better lead than ever, it’s starting to dawn on her that some divine being has it specifically out for her. Yay. Welcome to team PINA, Pyrrha. The first drink’s free.
- Comments: Very entertaining like an old school teen adventure story or TV series, with details worth reading again for. - Teslashark
- Alternate location: Fanfictions.net page.
- Has its own Tropes page: A More Flawed Gem
- Alternate location: Fanfictions.net page.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Alone by H'te Rarpee
- Recommended by: ultimomant
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Ruby/Weiss (White Rose)
- Synopsis: Loneliness is the worst feeling in the world, and Weiss knows that all too well.
- Amaryllis and Aconite by Stewbacca94
- Recommended by: buckyb
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The War of the Roses has nothing on the conflict between the pride of Weiss Schnee and the misanthropy of an enemy dedicated to her fall. Weiss must employ the virtue of teamwork to overcome her adversary, or the SDC will fall to ruin.
- Comments: The fifth addition to the Belladonna Lilies AU, this work picks up immediately after the main story's conclusion and knits the preceding four entries together. The dialogue and world-building are nothing short of top-notch.
- And The Rest Is by EXNativo
- Recommended by: Oak_Septic
- Status: Dead; last updated November 2016
- Synopsis: A shortage of coffee at Beacon means Doctor Oobleck has to teach a class without the help of his precious caffeine. History is always interesting, and perhaps for the first time, the history teacher will be too. No longer a one-shot. Borderline crackfic.
- Comments: Much of the humour in this fic comes from whatever Oobleck says, as it is likely to be either sarcastic or caustically hilarious. The grammar in this story is almost perfect, with only the occasional oversight making it through to the finished product. Overall, a fairly enjoyable fic, with much more likely on the way.
- Tags: Parody
- Arc of the Revolution by Aleadrex
- Recommended by: Richboylion, WikiGuardianAngel, TeamJuniperLives
- Status: Dead (last updated December 2016)
- Synopsis: All Jaune Arc ever wanted to do was to enter Beacon and become a hero, but Arcs don't give up just because people see through their fake transcripts! After months of hard work, he finally manages to enter Beacon... as the Supreme Commander and Glorious Leader of a twice-reformed organization now threatening to engulf Remnant in an all-out world war. Uhh, Oops? Move over, Cinder.
- Comments: So awesomely humorous. Basically Jaune Arc sets off to become the hero he always wanted to be with only his grandfather's training sword and his white hooded cloak (does this remind you of anything), and gets into misunderstanding after misunderstanding and Moments of Awesome with accidental sleights-of-hand that paints him as a ridiculously badass invincible paladin ("Stands at over eight feet tall, wears a f#&ing-awesome cape, and has a voice that rumbles like the storm") in the eyes of the White Fang, the Atlesian Military, and everyone else just by being Jaune. Remnant will never be the same again with Jaune accidentally leading the
WhiteNew Fang. - Has a tropes page: Arc of the Revolution
- Ask Not for Another Opinion by ExpendableVoice
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver
- Status: Dead (last updated October 2016)
- Synopsis: Nora Valkyrie. A bombastic teen, but one with more worries in her life, especially now that she's found herself under the influence of a completely new... power? Semblance? Curse? Whatever it is, it's something she has to live with! But how exactly do you deal with something like a shoulder-angel and shoulder-devil? Especially if they're less angel/devil-like, and more... person-y?
- Comments: A humor fic in which Nora literally has a miniature Ozpin and miniature Cinder as her shoulder "angel" and "demon". The Author perfectly captures Nora's personality down to a T, and doesn't fall into the route that many others go by making her less than intelligent. She's still smart and picks up on things just like her canon counterpart. The Author also handles Shoulder Ozpin and Shoulder Cinder very well, making them both exactly like their canon counterparts, and their interactions with Nora and each other are very believable. VERY much well worth the read.
- Tags: Humor.
- Atlantis by 2peach22 and hopefulfragment
- Status: Dead (last updated August 2017)
- Pairings: Qrow Brawnen/ Ozpin
- Recommended by: OracleOfDestiny
- Synopsis: It's the middle of summer, and with the reminder of Summer Rose's passing, Qrow Branwen wants a drink. Luckily, Ozpin will be there to stop his actions from going a little too far.
- Comments: It's a modern AU with mythological beings in it. What more could you ask for?
- AZRE, by BehindTheCorner
- Recommended by Harmonious Coati
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: "How are you going to undo the crimes you've done? The blood that stains your hands?" Adam had made many mistakes. Over his short life, he had taken lives, destroyed livelihoods, attacked indiscriminately. Yet he felt justified in it. Freedom for the Faunus was worth as many lives as it costed them. But one fated train heist costed him more than he was willing to give, and after leaving the White Fang behind, he would have to decide what his purpose in the world really was. Perhaps Beacon held the answer. Where he would find allies and new friends, he would also have to face the evil that secretly infected the world, and the evil that had infected him. The question he couldn't answer is: Does he have the strength to do it?
- Comments: Despite being a pretty lengthy read, with AZRE only reaching Volume 2 of the author's content at 36 chapters, the writing is easy to follow with pretty realistic and funny dialogue. The worldbuilding is deeply thought out, with humans having different races like the natives of Solitas and Nitzhi of Vacuo, on top of realistic depictions of cultures evolving over time. Although the cast is mostly OCs outside of some canon characters, they're enjoyable and bring interesting concepts in their backstories and arcs; including the first mention of mixed children between Faunus and humans in Eirian Esna.
- Has a tropes page under construction here.
- Balthazar of the BLAC by desoldeben
- Recommended by Whistle9
- Status: Dead (last updated September 2016)
- Synopsis: Balthazar is no hero. He has no godlike powers or skills. He has no secret past. He's nobody noteworthy. He had been an orphan, a poor street boy and finally a thief. But now, he won't even stay a thief anymore. He is going to become something infinitely tougher: a student in Beacon. Parallel to Team RWBY storyline.
- Comments: One of the better RWBY OC fics, it breaks the norm by following the original characters on their own story rather then just having them tag along with Teams RWBY and JNPR. The original characters are entertaining, and the canon characters are used well without having them take over the plot. A few grammatical errors do not detract from this entertaining read.
- Belladonna Lilies by DezoPenguin
- Recommended by: The 17th Immortal, stewbacca94
- Status: Completed
- Summary: In a gaslamp-fantasy Victorian era shaped by the discovery of Dust, two women's lives take on a collision course. Blake Belladonna, searching for her future, and Weiss Schnee, learning the meaning of her past, may find that each other holds the key to finding what truth exists within their web of duty, honor, and pride.
- Comments: This, along with the companion piece Burning Gold and independent sequel Aeneus Idola is hands down the best "Dust-punk" AU on the web. Dezo Penguin's sheer level of research and attention to detail is astounding to put it mildly, with their efforts about the weaponry and language of the late Victorian period in particular standing out. The references to other literary works are woven into the work quite well, and help add weight to the plot of the story. But what truly sells it, though, is Dezo Penguin's writing style. To put it simply, it reads as though Arthur Conan Doyle was reincarnated, discovered the world of RWBY, and decided to put his spin on it. All in all, this was a gripping, engaging story, and this troper hopes for more to come in future.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Has its own page.
- Beyond the Path by ItsClydeBitches
- Recommended by: OracleOfDestiny
- Status: Dead; last updated August 2018
- Pairing: Qrow Branwen/Ozpin, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xaio Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
- Synopsis: Ozpin has lived deep in the forests of Patch for many, many years now... long enough that anyone who might have heard of the 'Great and Powerful Oz' have long since passed to dust. And that was exactly as he liked it. However, when two young, rambunctious sisters unexpectedly show up on his doorstep, Ozpin must re-evaluate everything he knows, particularly when it comes to family. (A combined, re-imagining of "The Four Maidens" and Yang's venture into the woods as a child.)
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Fairy Tale Style,
- Big Brother: Ozpin by Arrancon
- Recommended by: oztrickster, WikiGuardianAngel
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Arkos, BlackSun, Renora, Cinder/Emerald, Romeo, Velvet/Mercury, Adam/Miltia eventually White Rose and Adam/Yang
- Spoilers: Possible season 3 spoilers
- Synopsis: Remember the time when the cast of RWBY had to share a penthouse with each other? Me neither, but here it is.
- Comments: Ships, Crack, Parody, Out-Of-Character, Naughty Words, Fluff, Dark Humor, Action, Drama, and whatever twists and turns I feel like writing. Prepare yourself. This crackfic is so damn funny. Basically, Ozpin makes a wager with the big bad of the series to settle their differences peacefully (and make money on the side) by having members of the White Fang, Beacon Academy and Cinder's group survive living with each other in a house for 30 days. Features Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Sun, Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Roman, Neo, Adam and his lieutenant (and Zwei), living together in a Big Brother-style game show, forcing each other to get along for a month or lose the cash prize at the end which Ozpin gambles away anyway. Now complete with just as hilarious extras.
- Black Reaper by Vengfulfate
- Recommended by: ArcWraith
- Status: Complete, with two sequels, the second Dormant (last updated May 2019)
- Pairings: Ruby/Velvet, Blake/Weiss, Ruby/Neo later on
- Synopsis: Tragedy leads to a fall from grace. A sister is lost and another loses her way. Innocence is corrupted. Friends and lovers try to pick up the pieces left behind. Dark days dawn in the wake of sorrow. My second published work and an attempt at a darker story. Some gore, but nothing too excessive.
- Tags: Tragedy, Crime, Drama, Darker and Edgier
- Comments: A brilliant fic showing a future where winning the Battle of Beacon didn't go as well as expected. Follow Ruby on her descent into crime and madness as 'Reaper'. Starts out quite dark but gets lighter as it continues. Great story and characterization. Well worth the read.
- Blood Rose by Rapey Lemons
- Recommended by onebossonesnake
- Status: Dead (last update November 2015)
- Synopsis: Ruby becomes a part-cannibal, part-rapist, all-psycho murderer and goes on the run after being discovered.
- Tags: Canon Defilement, Dark Fic, Bloodier and Gorier
- Bloom, Wilt, and Scatter by Starlight's Poet
- Recommended by Daemon of Wrath
- Status: Dead (last updated November 2017)
- Synopsis: Adam Taurus. In the words of Blake Belladonna, a man who was justified in his actions, but became a monster because of it. That was true in one world.
- Tags: Alternate Universe, Darker and Edgier, Canon Divergence
- Pairing: Adam/Ruby (Wilted Rose)
- Now has a Trope Page! In desperate need of wiki love!
- Branwen by Seeker-Pendragon
- Recommended by: GunMaster_J
- Status: Dead (last update July 2016)
- Synopsis: She was cold, and she was also feared by many, even her own brother feared her. She had long ago accepted that she was dangerous. She was fine with being alone, she was a loner anyway. She was sure that even her own blood would fear her to. Yet she didn't think she could ever bear her son fearing her, even if they're not related by blood.
- Comments:
- An Interesting character study on Raven Branwen as a person, how she thinks and operates. Also a great take on Jaune if he was raised by someone else.
- Tags: Alternate Universe, Darkerand Edgier, Drama, Adventure
- Now has a trope page!
- Break A Leg by Drake S. Hellion
- Recommended by: Skatepunk
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Nora Valkyrie, after finding out the events that one certain Winchester put the leader of JNPR through, decides its time for some payback in the most awesome form possible! By breaking his legs!
- Note: Sequel to Evil
- Broken by defendover
- Recommended by Tropers/{{omegaman}}
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Weiss had never been the same since then...
- Tags: Dark Fic
- Comments: A short story exploring how fragile Weiss really is, and how one unfortunate incident really breaks her. Not a happy story.
- Cards Against Remnant by RexHeller
- Recommended by: Black Sun Nocturne, 4maskwolf
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: RWBY and JNPR are bored. This is bad. So they're going to play Cards Against Remnant. What's the worst that could happen? (from the description on Fanfiction.net). Essentially, RWBY meets Cards Against Humanity. Hilarity Ensues as everyone gets in on some very hilarious card choices from unexpected characters.
- Comments: Gut-busting hilarity abounds, some off-color humor is involved, but then again, it's Cards Against Humanity, which is the whole point. Ren gets a very interesting sense of humor, and deadpans some of the funniest cards and responses.
- Tags: Black Comedy, Crosses the Line Twice, Refuge in Audacity, Rule of Funny
- CMSN by CrimsonSardonyx
- Recommended by: GreenHorseBattery
- Status: Volumes 1-3 are Complete, but the overall series is Dead (last updated November 2017)
- Synopsis: Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo attend the legendary Beacon Academy – as students, not saboteurs. While team CMSN struggles to find its footing, other forces set their plans in motion. Cinder’s determined to be a player, not a piece. She may even succeed.
- Comments: Cinder and her team replace RWBY as fresh Beacon students. While the plot initially follows canon through their initiation in the Emerald Forest, it begins to diverge immediately afterwards, bringing in characters like Marcus, Mercury's father as antagonists. Furthermore, Cinder's no Ruby, and the team dynamics are very different as a result. The characters remain fairly true to their original characterizations despite their changed circumstances.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Recommended by: GreenHorseBattery
- Crash and Burn by RadiantBeam
- Recommended by: mysterius
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Weiss/Yang mention
- Synopsis: Hunting down a murderer for Beacon, Blake's greatest concern was Yang would take the mission too seriously and kill him even though they specifically had orders to bring him in alive.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Craving the Sky by najio
- Recommended by: RU 5 TR 3 D, mystery_kcad
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Bumblebee (Blake/Yang), Monochrome (Blake/Weiss), Freezerburn (Weiss/Yang)
- Synopsis: If it weren't for her grandfather, Weiss would have lost her wings at birth. If it weren't for her mother, she would have lost them as a toddler, when she was still too young to remember them. If it weren't for her sister, she would have lost them as a child, the moment she was old enough to be afraid of them. Weiss arrives at Beacon still counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, when she will finally get rid of them for good. It's the obvious next step. Until, that is, her team does what they do best, and makes everything a whole lot more complicated.
- Crimson Memories Repeat by Overlord Swarm
- Recommended by: Hero2014
- Status: Dead (last updated July 2017)
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss
- Synopsis: When a 27 year old Ruby Rose finds herself back in her teenaged body with 12 extra years of memories chronicling the complete and utter destruction of Remnant as she knows it, including the deaths of everyone she holds dear, she realizes it's time to play for keeps. But how much can the 'Last Huntress of Beacon' actually change and how much is she doomed to repeat?
- Comments: A fantastic fic that throws a Ruby from a horrible yet plausible future back to her first day at Beacon. Well written, everyone is kept in character, and avoids The Stations of the Canon without straining plausibility. Fight scenes are excellent, and chapters are long. Word of God puts it in the prologue, so prepare for the long haul.
- Tags: Peggy Sue
- Denial by College Fool
- Recommended by: Tryrar
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It's not a river in Remnant, just the first stage of coming to terms. Jaune deals with the aftermath of Season 3. Not a fix-fic. (from the description on Fanfiction.net). Exactly as it says, it's about Jaune coming to terms with the season 3 finale, so expect metric tons of feels.
- Destiny of Remnant by UGX7
- Recommended by : HubertusIsegrim, Commander145, jkphantom
- Status: Dormant (author stated that after Ch. 87, they will be taking a break)
- Synopsis: In the wake of the fall Team RNJR sets out to bring Cinder Fall to justice while the new Fall Maiden overlooks her master's plan in Haven City. Meanwhile Weiss tries to help a friend, Yang struggles with the loss of her arm, and Blake deals with guilt over the White Fang. All the while someone from Cinder's past returns and Salem's newest pawn rises. Arkos, WhiteRose, SunnyBees, RenNora
- Pairing: Jaune/Pyrrha, Ruby/Weiss, Blake/Yang/Sun, Ren/Nora, OC/OC
- Tags: Doorstopper (nearly 1,700,000 words by Ch. 87)
- Comments: A great fic. Besides working with the canon characters, the author manages to work alongside original or events from other fandom and makes a great job out of it. Despite using a lot of characteristic OC's this fic manages to let the main heroes in shine in glory. I was reading with excitement and this has an extremely well setup. In the end, I found myself with a smile on my face. This is the perfect read after Volume 3 and I really wouldn't mind if this becomes the new season.
- Seconded. Despite the usage of quite a few OCs in this story, UGX7 has managed to make the individual chapters quite interesting by having good character developments among the canon and OC cast as well as epic battle sequences which would grab hold of your attention. In addition, hints leading to something big yet to come are hidden in the chapters themselves, so keep an eye out for more spectacular story developments ahead. Definitely a post Volume 3 story not to be missed.
- Thirded (is that the correct term?). I found this story a couple weeks after Volume 3 finished. Definitely engaging and made the hiatus between Volume 3 and Volume 4 a lot more bearable. Thoroughly enjoyed every second of this fic filled with a mix of adventure, tragedy, and courage, and I recommend anyone to read this wonderfully written story. The OC's are quite interesting despite there being so many, but like the above to recommendations say, the main canon characters get to shine in their moments of glory. Each chapter just gets even better and better, and I promise you will be satisfied with the results.
- Now has a trope page.
- Dirge Without Music by Arashi-Leonhart
- Recommended by: Tikigod784, Mcnickel
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Rest in peace, Monty Oum. Ruby is not resigned. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.
- Comments: A tribute piece for Monty Oum, the show's creator. Thematically fantastic.
- Don't You Cry No More, by FandomLastsForever
- Recommended by OracleOfDestiny
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairing: Qrow Branwen/Ozpin
- Synopsis: Ozpin never expected to become a parent. Qrow never thought he'd be taking a road trip with his significant other. Oscar never thought he'd find people who gave a damn about him. And as they travel across the country together, they soon begin to learn more about themselves, each other, and what it truly means to be family.
- Tags: Modern AU, Roadtrip AU
- Comments:Oscar, Ozpin, and Qrow's interactions make my heart melt. Qrow at amusement parks is also amusing.
- Dreamscapes of Roses by Mrfipp
- Recommended by nightelf37
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Ruby goes on the adventure of her dreams, in perhaps a more literal sense of the term.
- Dreams Crushed by SorrowfulReincarnation
- Recommended by Zoic Alcelaphine
- Status: Dead (last updated September 2017)
- Synopsis: "A tragic death, that is all that it takes to change history, all it takes to shatter a dream. Ruby and Yang, orphaned, had their dream of becoming huntresses crushed by a death. Instead of going to Signal Academy, though, a much less easy-going Yang ends up helping a stranger - and thus, ends up working for him at a certain club... AU where they never went to Signal."
- Ecdysis by mantisbelle
- Status: Complete
- Recommended by: Oracle Of Destiny
- Synopsis: Ecdysis - noun /ˈekdəsəs/ The process of shedding the old skin (in reptiles) or casting off the outer cuticle (in insects and other arthropods). He has shed his skin many times, only to come back stronger every time.
- Comments: A Tyrian-centric fic, explaining his backstory. I now consider this canon unless told otherwise.
- Emergence by Chris7221/XCVG
- Recommended by: mysterius, MrLZRS, bluedragonx
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Members of Team RWBY find themselves stranded on Earth. Arriving at different times and in different places, with no idea where they are or how they got here, can they adapt to this new world and reunite with their teammates? (Takes place between Volumes 1 and 2 of RWBY, and around late 2014 on Earth.)
- Fall from Grace by Kingxana0
- Recommended by Underworldlord
- Status: Dead (cancelled by author January 2015), planned reboot is Dead (last update was in January 2015)
- Synopsis: Jaune Arc becomes a villain and starts working for Roman Torchwick and Cinder. Written mostly in the first person, with third person shifts to focus on other characters and events.
- For Better or Norse, by Moczo
- Recommended by: Argon 2, mysterius
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Rookie monster hunter Lie Ren is subcontracted by Beacon to deal with a monster problem outside their purview. What the young hunter finds in the frozen forests of Norway, however, will change his life a great deal more than any simple raging beast...
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Crack Fic
- For Tomorrow's Sake by Death Chariot
- Recommended by ultimomant, Contributor, Animenutcase
- Status: Dead (last update December 2015)
- Synopsis: Summer didn't know what was happening. One minute, she and her husband were in bed, the next she was here in this strange room with even stranger people. And she has to watch "visions" of the future with them? "What the heck is RWBY!"
- Comments: Team RWBY and JNPR's loved ones are shown visions of their futures and struggle to deal with the knowledge, like how Summer is going to die and Blake will abandon Adam.
- Forged Destiny by Coeur Al'Aran
- Recommended by: Absolutely Average, Katkiller 5
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Jaune had always dreamed of being a Hero, of being someone. But dreams were just that; for in the world of Remnant the Class you are born with determines your fate. Jaune was born a Blacksmith, and thus that was his destiny. But when a strange opportunity allows him to change that, can a simple Blacksmith become something more within the Beacon Academy for Heroes?
- Comments: The story takes place in an RPG Mechanicsverse, but does the best job I've ever seen at adapting the cast of RWBY into such an environment. Coeur does a fair job at using the freedom of the new setting to avoid the railroading often found in his typical works and it is my favorite of his stories so far. That being said, I feel compelled to add a caveat to my comment as all nine books are now complete. While my review remains true for Books 1-6, the quality of ''Forged Destiny' takes a serious nosedive in Books 7-9 and never recovers. I would say that Books 1-6 alone are worth a read, but wouldn't recommend reading any further as not receiving any ending is arguably better than the ending we were given.
- Follow up: The story manages to avoid pretty much of all of the problems that RPG Mechanicsverse / Gamer style stories tend to have. Jaune is, at the end of the day, a blacksmith playing at being a hero, and that is a more or less constant issue that never leaves him. While the story does have its ups and downs, a few arcs drag on a bit longer than they could, this troper finds it to be an entirely worthwhile read.
- Pairings: Jaune/Blake with hints of a developing Jaune/Ruby.
- Tags: Alternate Universe.
- Has its own tropes page.
Add ReviewFour Deadly Secrets by OneirosTheWriter
- Recommended by Leviticus Wilkes, The23rd, Arrowstorm, Dame-Amaryllis, Sasha, Satoshikyu
- Status: Dead (last update October 2015)
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss (White Rose), Blake/Yang (Bumblebee)
- Synopsis: A darker take on the girls of RWBY and the world of Remnant. The girls of RWBY have deadly secrets that they'd do anything to protect. Whether what they have done to get to Beacon, or their reasons for starting over at the Academy, their pasts are catching up to them. The Malachite twins have enrolled to salvage their careers, and what they know will cause everything to begin unraveling. White Rose v Ruby/Miltia triangle, Bumblebee.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic
- Comments: A long, well planned Fanfic that seems ready to take the girls to very dark places. Inventive and intelligent, this story is worth reading if only for the unique pairing it provides and the deep and complex character arcs.
- Golden Leaves by HeiszKetchup
- Recommended by: moberemk
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A story not about the people who have passed on, but rather about those who are left behind. About a woman who once shone like the sun, but now has nothing more than a spark. About Yang, who learns to let go of her past through a kid who reminds her that life moves on, even after those we love are gone.
- Goodbellas by Stewbacca94
- Recommended by: peripheraldevotee
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ruby/Pyrrha, Nora/Yang, Weiss/Ren, Jaune/Cinder.
- Synopsis: The Vale, a satellite city on the southern edge of Sydney, is home to the Bellas mafia. Headed by the enigmatic Blake Belladonna, they protect their stomping ground from any drug pushers, murderers, and lowlifes who dare defile their home. When a corrupt landlord and his cohorts attempt to wrest control of almost half of Vale for “redevelopment”, the Bellas find themselves in a desperate battle for power, as well as protecting their homes from being bulldozed for the planned gentrification. Meanwhile, an honest group of cops decide that enough is enough with the crime on both sides. Who will win?
- Comments: Named as a joking reference to Goodfellas, this is one of the best crime works that this troper's seen amongst the RWBY fandom so far, and the author's writing skill has shot up since their previous work. Despite a slow update schedule (one chapter at the start of each month), this story contains well-written fight scenes and a decent blend of comedy, lust, and graphic violence that most readers would find satisfying. Of particular note is the level of research on the cars, weapons, and events of the story's setting (which, for the most part, is southern Sydney in early 1989). A word of warning, though: in two of the chapters, there are rape and torture scenes present (which are pertinent to the plot, it must be said). However, the former of these scenarios won't be featured in the story after these, as promised by the writer.
- Now has a trope page.
- Grimm Heir and Grimm Wars by DeadRich18 and [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6360495/DragonBlitz85 Dragon Blitz 85
- Recommended by: miner249er
- Status: Dead and Ongoing
- Synopsis: It has lived since the beginning. Since before the Dust settled on the world, bringing forth man. It has brought forth countless monsters to combat man and his creations in an attempt to annihilate him completely. But as the years pass, man becomes stronger and wiser, he becomes able to fend off its monsters. And now the creator comes to a realization. It needs an heir.
- Comments:
- A story where the author does something different and writes a story that mainly focus on the Grimm, the author does a great job in writing/characterizing the Grimm as well as creating Original Characters for the story.
- Tags: Original Character, Dark Fic, Bloodier and Gorier
- Grimm Tales by Darkesper
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver
- Status: Dead (last story update was September 2017)
- Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a little red girl... This little red girl has suffered. She has lost far too much and survived through many horrors. Her spirit has been broken, her hope has all but drained. She has dreams dyed red like roses. These dreams reminded her... haunted her... Such a curse for the poor child... This is the tale of a little red girl destined for pain...
- Comments: An AU where Remnant is a much darker place, where the Grimm are truly Dark Is Evil, and Red Eyes, Take Warning is in FULL effect when they show up. Not many have been featured in the story, but when they are, things take a turn for the worse. The story follows Ruby, who is a far cry from her canon counterpart, and much more jaded. Darkesper knows just how to make you feel for the characters, and knows just when to jerk the chain and make things worse, leaving you equal parts outraged, horrified, and hopeful that things just may get better. The story is also up on his DeviantART profile, with images to go with it.
- Tags: Family, Drama.
- The author's accounts on Fanfiction.net and Deviantart have been cancelled. If someone can find an active version of the story, that would be appreciated.
- The story is still on Space Battles; it was last updated October 2018.
- Grimmspawn by xT-Zealot
- Recommended by: deathisabishi, bluedragonx, Robinton
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Blake knew that the life she had at Beacon was a fabrication built upon a lie. No longer able to live with it, she decides to shatter this illusion and accept reality. However, she soon discovers that what she possesses within Team RWBY is something more real than anything she could ever imagine.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Harrow to Zion by Starspike7
- Recommended by: Raptor 343
- Status: Dead (last update July 2018)
- Synopsis: Tawn has found a reason to live after fourteen years of nothing. He wants power, he wants family, and most importantly he wants to know why he was only told of his mother's death instead of seeing a body. In the midst of it all, a man is stealing semblances and marked him as a target.
- Comments: An OC fic different from the norm.
- Hello! My name is Ruby Rose? note by Fallen Warden
- Recommended by: Sparten X, Dark Deceiver
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis:Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is dead.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is Ruby Rose.Hello! My name is...
- Comments: Where do I even begin in trying to describe this. It's a fanfic that is heavy on recursion and seems to be stylized like Ruby writing in some sort of journal that is meant to be seen by others, with the first 10 or so chapters simply being the previous chapter with a new line added. Then things start to get weird when chapter 11 hits. And then they move on from weird to incredibly creepy as it becomes rather obvious that something is very wrong with Ruby (in case the case the synopsis didn't tip you off). The fic is very unique in its writing style and works to make you question just what the hell is going on, and leaves you wanting and trying to decipher just what the hell this madness is. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes creepy stories with a psychological focus, anyone who likes series that encourage you decipher whats really going on, or anyone interested in seeing a rather unique form of storytelling.
- This story is a a great find to anyone interested in psychological horror, although in this troper's opinion it verges close to Nightmare Fuel. A basic knowledge of cyphers is recommended to anyone who wants to get the full impact out of the story. Also a heartfelt reccommendation to read this during the day time, and not at 1:45 am. This troper will fend off sleep for another few days.
- Henceforward AU by KumaFromTaiwan
- Recommended by: throwaawy
- Status: Ongoing
- Comments: A fanmade comic of a future AU for RWBY, presumably splitting up before the events of Volume 3. After a shocking betrayal and a rise in terrorist attacks, the world of Remnant has taken a sharp turn for the worst. Enter Weiss, the sole graduating huntress of the former Team RWBY, and her Huntress-Freelancenote former leader as they try to make things right. As a future-fic of sorts, the cast's abilities have advanced or atrophied compared to their canon counterparts, but it's still rather interesting. As the author's name suggests, english is not their first language so be aware of some weird grammar, but it's an enjoyable read overall.
- Tags: AU, web-manga
- Now has a Trope Page.
- RWBY Heroes A Double Edged Sword by Dunedan
- Recommended by:Deathray 4000
- Status: Dormant; last updated June 2020
- Synopsis: Four new students join Beacon Academy for the year, unaware of the darkness yet to come. Can these newcomers lend their strength to our heroes and lessen the sorrows they face... or merely make things worse? A story spanning the series with new characters whose presence cause ripples of change to the events we have come to know.
- Comments: At first it seems like just another "Original team inserted into the main cast" fanfic but it becomes much more interesting as the chapters go on and the characters that are created by the author are very three-dimensional and likable. The main pairing is also something that is both unique and somewhat risky but the Author manages to pull it off very well without it being too OOC. The story sort of follows the same storyline as the first three volumes but it has started to branch off more and more as time goes on.
- Hunting Monsters by Vingilot the Sky Ship
- Recommended by Tdwally
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: This mission was beginning to grate on Sanguin's nerves. Hunting phantoms was trouble enough, doing it while navigating the minefield that was the tense relations between Umbra and Beacon academies was just needlessly stressful. And he didn't care how skilled this 'Team RWBY' thought they were, if those rookies kept butting in some of them were bound to end up dead.
- Hypnotherapy by zelkova48
- Recommended by: Juny 23
- Status: Dead; last updated September 2018
- Synopsis: In an attempt to raise Jaune's low self-esteem, Pyrrha and Ruby employ an unorthodox method: hypnotism. Shockingly, the hypnosis works, and Jaune is now the very picture of confidence. Although, he is acting a little stranger than usual, but it shouldn't be anything too serious, right?
- I, Jaune by Hallucinia
- Recommended by Heaven Smiles
- Status: Dead (the author says in the summary that a rewrite is pending, but that was in 2014)
- Synopsis: Part 1 of a semi-AU world focusing on a half-crippled Jaune as he tries to navigate the dangerous power politics of Vale and survive his time at Beacon. Even as his massively powerful family who thinks he's betrayed them guns for him.
- Infighting, Insanity, and Social Ineptitude by Najio, alternate location here. Now has a TV Tropes page: Infighting, Insanity, and Social Ineptitude.
- Recommended by: Teslashark, enderheisenberg, Circlechains
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In which teams are shuffled; Ruby feels like a one-eyed king in a land where everyone else has two; Dove babysits three avatars of chaos and destruction, and Jaune just wants his team to stop arguing for ten consecutive minutes.
- Comments: An alternate universe putting Ruby and Jaune to tougher leadership challenges. Good character building making everyone believable. Original characterization of CRDL is organic.
- Pairings: Weiss/Blake, Ren/Nora, light Ruby/Pyrrha, Yang/Russel
- Immortal by LaughingLefou
- Recommended by: magictoaster
- Status: Dormant; last updated April 2019
- Synopsis: Jaune Arc hated dying. This is an odd state of being for one to state they hated, as dying happens only but once. Twice maybe if you're lucky. Then again, you aren't the universe's chew toy either...
- Comments: This fic is hilarious. To give you an idea of what it's like, Jaune's semblance is the inability to die when he's killed. Oh, and Yang could be considered the straight man out of all the characters in the story.
- Impromptu Midterms By Pit Viper of Doom
- Recommended by: Masterbow
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A sudden influx of Grimm in the Emerald Forest mean the perfect opportunity for surprise evaluations at Beacon Academy. Ruby and Pyrrha come out of it needing stitches, Russel and Lark almost ruin everything, and Jaune screams a lot. Hopefully they'll get A's.
- Comments: A short fun story leading up to a glorious ending.
- Jaune Arc Expelled By Born of Prayers
- Recommended by: Leid, bluedragonx
- Status: Dead (last update March 2016)
- Synopsis: Cardin Winchester took his information to Glynda Goodwitch, leading to Jaune being forced to leave Beacon after the events at Forever Fall. But just because that avenue was closed to him, it didn't mean he couldn't find another way. When he and his former friends meet again, Pyrrha sees he's a changed man.
- Comments: A simple short-story about what could have happened if Cardin lived up to his threats. The author leaves it open for anyone who wants to take the idea and run with it.
- Jaune Arc: Hero of Vytal by Kartofel von Kouch (Also has a Spacebattles mirror that updates in chapter sections before the FFN version.)
- Recommended by Malchus
- Status: Dead (last update November 2014)
- Synopsis: Being from a family of heroes, Jaune had long ago realized that heroism wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It was just plain sense to take a safer course in life. Unfortunately, nobody bothered to tell him that the world just didn't make sense. Inspired by the Ciaphas Cain series of Warhammer 40K.
- Comments: While based on the Ciaphas Cain books, the author does not ape the series and eschews the first-person biographical style for a third-person style with alternating character POVs, getting into the mind of each. Has an interesting take on Jaune in that while outwardly he acts very close to his canon self, inwardly he, like Cain, schemes for a way to keep from getting into trouble (and fails due to rotten luck).
- Lottery by Startix-Master-of-the-NoLess
- Recommended by: Insano
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: For all Jaune's gifts, common sense wasn't one of them.
- Magical Girl Glitter Glynda-Chan! by Half-Blind Otaku
- Recommended by fruitstripegum
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Join Magical Girl Glynda Goodwitch as she fights for Truth, Justice, and a frilly dress! Beyond that... well, I'd say the title speaks for itself... Parody and Adventure, rated T for the reckless endangerment of minors by adorable Mascots, snarky story-book narration, and stress-induced pixie rage.
- Massages by Stromael
- Recommended by ultimomant, Mcnickel, Blazing Guns, circlechains
- Status: Rewrite is Dead (last update January 2019); old version cancelled, author released summary of intended ending.
- Synopsis: Yang's back is sore, so Jaune gives her a massage. Hilarity, wrong impressions, and Jaune Stu ensue.
- Comments: While the original begins as a hilarious Unwanted Harem story, it starts to have a real plot and get dark.
- "Dark" doesn't quite describe it — this story, by the author's own admittance, jumps the shark pretty severely and falls apart as a result. In an authors note for the rewrite of the fic, the author addresses this and comments on how much he dislikes this version of the story, saying: "I hate the original Massages. I hate the terrible writing, the terrible direction, the only thing I don't hate is that the original Massages is how I met that stories co-author, Exvnir". The rewrite is shaping up to be solving most of the problems with this fic, introducing more depth, better characterization and a more realistic look at some of the cliches and tropes being used.
- Massages:mjnousak vesion by Mjnousak
- Recommended by Shipsetter, 4maskwolf
- Status: Vanished from the Internet, please post a link if found
- Synopsis: Yang's back is sore, so Jaune gives her a massage. Hilarity ensues. Retelling of the Massages'' by H'te Rarpee.
- Comments: Has a much more Sliceof Life feel to it than the original without the Unwanted Harem.
- MRLD by Firehawk242
- Recommended by: XCVG
- Status: Dead (last updated March 2017)
- Synopsis: Ten years after the start of RWBY, Kevin Malder attends Beacon Academy. It's been three years since he arrived on Remnant, and he's still trying to find a way home.
- Comments: Starts off quite rough, but gets a lot better. Avoids many of the traps that similar fics fall into. Short chapters, but frequent updates.
- Tags: Original Character
- Mute Arc by destinyTail0
- Recommended by Psyner
- Status: Dead (last update March 2015)
- Synopsis: What if Jaune Arc can't talk?
- Comments: An extremely interesting and heartwarming read about Jaune's interactions with the rest of team RWBY and JNPR. I highly recommend this great read. Word of warning though the chapters are very long, with an average of 12,000 words each.
- Unfortunately, grammar errors are extremely common and most of the characters hold the Idiot Ball, with Jaune needing to keep his muteness a secret because in this story Beacon doesn't allow disabled students and none of the other characters realizing for weeks that he's mute despite it being obvious. The story is also likely dead since it hasn't updated in a year and a half.
- My Final Judgment Day by crystalessence
- Recommended by sam445
- Status: Dead (last update August 2014)
- Synopsis: After her father's execution, Blake Belladonna finds herself abandoned in the streets of Vale, where she will make the encounter of a shy Velvet.
- My Little Fire Flower by Monokub
- Recommended by: RacattackForce
- Status: Dead (last update March 2019)
- Synopsis: A look back into the Mama Cinder AU, of raising a young Ruby to this very day. How did they come about, how did they live, and how does Cinder manage to live like this? Take a look, and see into the history of Mama Cinder, and her little "Fire Flower", Ruby Rose, as she continues to grow into what she is today. Currently: Volume 2 Time Period.
- Comments: A fun 'for want of a nail' story that imagines what would have happened if, for some reason, Summer Rose was carrying Ruby with her on the day she died, and Cinder Fall happened to be in the area. The early chapters carry a lighthearted and comedic tone, following Cinder as an overprotective mother and a toddler Ruby endearing herself to pretty much everyone she meets, from "big sister" Neo and "Uncle" Roman to even Salem. And the fic manages to keep much of it even as the story advances to delve into more serious material and moments, which become more and more common as the author starts adapting the show proper, as Ruby enters Beacon Academy with the goal of killing the Fall Maiden. The fic also gets bonus points for being pretty much the only Cinder!Mom AU (and one of the few Adopted!Ruby AUs, for that matter) that hasn't been abandoned after a few chapters. Comes with its own version of RWBY Chibi.
- My Abominable Monster Classmates Can't Be This Cute! by Mallobaude
- Recommended by: Derv0sB2
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: "Jaune had always wanted to go to a school to learn to battle the creatures of Grimm. But as a boy with no huntsmen training, no huntsmen knowledge, and no huntsmen transcripts, he had absolutely no chance of getting into a school like that legally. After scouring the darkest corners of the CCTNet, he finally found a lead. A place called Grimm Academy."
- Comments: An AU based upon the concept of Jaune unwittingly ending up at Salem's secret school instead of Ozpin's huntsman academy, where he encounters a "Grimm-ified" Team RWBY who've been raised in servitude to the Queen of the Grimm and her goals of world conquest for the last 10 years. Although plenty of on-point comedy, hilarious hijinks, and a not-so-unwanted harem abound, the title and the official genre listing bely the story's true nature, as there's plenty of serious, touching and tear-jerking drama throughout. At its root, this story is about a young man, thrown into a hellish situation alongside four damaged girls whose hearts, souls and humanity he makes it his personal mission to save from the ancient evil that's pulling all their strings, at any cost. Romance abounds (and not necessarily the monogamous kind, although the relationships are written with emotional nuance which makes it all feel like they're not just a teenager's wet dream) — so does compelling characterization, Grimm Nightmare Fuel and horror, and a sense of pathos for the various characters who have been robbed of something or another by Salem's evil.
- Now has a trope page.
- Nora’s Life by 1204UFP
- Recommended by: Utter Koala
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A man from Nora’s past comes back to haunt her. Takes place after Volume 4 in Mistral, with an alternate take on what happened there.
- Pairing(s): Ren/Nora, Ruby/Nora (unrequited).
- Tags: Dark Fic.
- Comments: Yes, this a Darker and Edgier story. However, it has many heartwarming moments and the characters are mostly in character. While there was a grammar mistake or two, it is a well written story that’s worth a read.
- Now has a trope page!
- Null by Coeur Al'Aran
- Recommended by: Derv0sB2
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "A Semblance so powerful Kingdoms will kill to acquire it. A family stolen away to try and replicate its effects. A conspiracy that threatens to tear Atlas in two. A young man who wants his sisters back, and a General caught between doing the right thing and his duty. Will Jaune manage to rescue his family, and can James Ironwood prevent him falling to darkness in the process?"
- Comments: By far one of the darker and more serious stories Coeur has ever written if not the darkest. A harrowing tale of an evil Government Conspiracy and one teenage boy's (slight spoilers) Protagonist Journey to Villain, Null asks with elegance what it would take to push an ordinary boy to become a killer, and how far different people are willing to go for the things that they love or believe in. The atmosphere and the writing are on point, and the fic makes some truly surprising and unexpected twists on familiar characters.
- Now has a trope page.
- Of Vale Blood by Zeroan
- Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
- Status: Complete (for the most part; the main narrative is finished, but Zeroan promised an epilogue in 2017 that has yet to happen)
- Synopsis: Winter has arrived once again to the city of Vale, bringing darkness and fear with it. But unbeknownst to all, the greatest dangers lurks not outside, but inside the walls. The destiny of Vale rests on the hands of a young heroine, a lost princess, an escaped slave, and a cursed beauty. AU set in a Renaissance-era Vale.
- "Or Something" Series by College Fool
- Recommended by: The Anguished One
- Status: 5 out of the 6 series are Complete, while Dead Man Walking (Or Something) is Dead (author cancelled it, posted their plot notes regarding the conclusion).
- Synopsis: A series of fanfics, all centred around how a small change to Jaune's life leads to dramatic effects throughout the RWBY world.
- Paths of Light and Dark by Marsa The Redeemed
- Recommended by: CrusaderRyuoki
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A SYOC story with a twist on morality. Not all good guys are good and not all bad guys are bad. AU story that takes place on Remnant but has little to no continuity with Canon.
- Comments: An Alternative take on the RWBY universe. The Character designs and story concept always keep you guessing who the bad guys really are. First story of a planned series.
- Tags: Alternate Universe, Darkerand Edgier, Adventure, Angst, Original Character.
- Now has a trope page!
- Recommended by: CrusaderRyuoki
- Perspective by Chris7221
- Recommended by: A-hardie
- Status: Dead (last update August 2016)
- Synopsis: July 23, 2016. My last day on Earth. One day I'm wondering what to do with my life, the next I'm fighting monsters and world-ending schemes. Beacon definitely looked a lot better on paper. SI/OC. Mostly following canon with some potentially massive twists.
- Comments: A run of the mill but fantastic SI fic written by the author of Emergence, this story turns self inserts into a more logical progression including real life emotional trauma that would follow such events. Excellently written, so far the characters are written in character, with even the POV character quickly defining himself a personality.
- Pheremone Dust by You are right... NOT
- Recommended by Trogdor7620, bluedragonx
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Roman attacks a street vendor who sells a special variety of dust, the only problem aside from the robbery? The special dust is spilled directly on Jaune as he fends off Roman's attack. Little did Jaune know how much of problem this would be.
- Comments: Basically, Jaune gets covered in some special Dust that makes every girl in Beacon go crazy for him... including RWBY, Nora, Velvet, and a couple of OCs. If you like watching Jaune suffer, you're bound to get a laugh. A few grammatical issues, but it's still legible.
- Professor Arc by Coeur Al'Aran
- Recommended by: Sithking Zero, Robinton
- Status: Complete, along with the sequel Professor Arc II: Headmaster Arc
- Synopsis: He didn't know the first thing about teaching, Hell, he didn't even know the first thing about fighting! A shame then, that his forged documents painted the picture of an accomplished and skilled warrior. Now he's trapped teaching students his own age how to be hunters, when he doesn't even know himself! "This can't be too hard right... heh... who am I kidding, I'm screwed."
- Jaune fakes his transcripts... but this time they're too good and he gets hired as a teacher. By the same author as "One Good Turn Deserves Another", a humorous fic about Jaune's misadventures as a teacher of Beacon.
- Since the rec was made, this fic has drawn enough attention that it has people trying their own hand at Professor Arc fics, including Professor Arc: Staffroom Chronicles, by the author (a series of canon humorous side stories), Professor Arc Omakes by Sithking Zero (a collection of non-canon humorous stories), Intensive Counseling by The Spookiest Of Noodles (a rule 34 story where his students seduce the Professor), and Great Professor Arc by [ImSoAwesome], which is an AU of the main story in which Jaune is given an actual teaching position instead of being made a support teacher.
- Now has a trope page.
- Promises of an Unknown Coast by TigerMoon
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Qrow Brawnen/ Ozpin
- Recommended by: Oracle Of Destiny
- Synopsis: Qrow Branwen has never asked for much in life. Sure, his sister's in prison and his brother-in-law is a bit of a wreck, his best friend is missing a few limbs and Qrow left a few bits of himself back in Afghanistan... but he has a steady job teaching, a small house, his family and his friends. And if he drinks a little more than the average person, or uses a little something to help him sleep, well - life doesn't turn out all sunshine and roses for people like him. Until, that is, the eccentric Ozpin Pine walks into Qrow's life and turns it upside-down.
- trope page
- Rebellion: The Fallout of the Second Human-Faunus War by Coolheadluke
- Recommended by ultimomant, denguyen246
- Status: Ongoing (NOTE: Coolheadluke has deleted the story from FF.net, but still has the document, which he's still working on and will send it, via Docx, to anyone who asks)
- Synopsis: Alternate Universe. Five years ago, the White Fang triggered a second Human-Faunus War. The Faunus lost and were all enslaved. One day, Velvet Scarlatina is sold to Jaune Arc, son of the legendary general who led the humans to victory. To her surprise, he is kind, generous... and a member of a group working to bring down the current social order.
- Tags: Rated M for themes, not graphic violence.
- Announcement:Just as a note, Coolheadluke had to take the story down for extenuating circumstances. However, the story is still available via Docx. Just PM him on FFN, and he'll send a copy over.
- Redemption by RainStorm4
- Recommended by: LadyRochester, enderheisenberg, Teslashark, Circlechains
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: RWBY, told through the eyes of Russel Thrush and his team. Friendship, drama, (hopefully) some humour to build up some characters with a lot of potential who, at the moment in the show, are fairly 2D. CRDL-centric, but with plenty of interaction with the other teams. Russel/Yang ultimately.
- Comments:
- A well-written fic, told through the eyes of a snarky and complicated Russel Thrush, that fleshes out these characters and explains a lot of plot holes in the first Volume. CRDL becomes actually sympathetic and likeable, and the romantic subplot is surprisingly believable without detracting from the story. Short characters with frequent updates.
- This is how fleshing out is done. Believable humor, innovative relationship writing and a good look at what Jaune have done wrong.
- The story is now complete at 42 chapters, having covered the events of the series up to the end of volume 3. There is also a minor finale at 32 chapters for the more canon-compliant reader.
- It has a trope page on this wiki.
- Red Sun Over Beacon by Gleaming Onyx''
- Recommended by: Wiki Guardian Angel
- Status: Dormant; last updated October 2020
- Sypnosis: Convinced by Blake to follow her out of the White Fang, Adam finds himself forced to mingle with humans in Beacon Academy, namely in his new team: RWAY("Rua"). Now, he must struggle both with his hate and his team's... eccentricities, all while villains and even his own former organization rise to challenge Remnant's very way of life.
- Comments: Not that Sun. Adam is convinced by Blake on the train to stop his violent extremist ways, and while Blake heads to Menagerie to convince her parents to take back the White Fang it turns out she went to Haven Academy instead to escape her past, he goes to Beacon to overcome his hatred of humanity. Repeatedly shifts between hilariousness and dark drama. Adam and Weiss's antics together are especially hilarious once he warms up to her. It has mostly followed the canon plotline for Volume one and most of Volume 2 for now, but the author has promised to diverge once it reaches the timeline of Volume 3, and is already showing signs of doing so. Overall a really good (and funny) story, and by far the best "Adam goes to Beacon" story in this troper's view.
- Now has a page.
- Reiteration by Phailen
- Recommended by: Pspcole
- Status: Dead (cancelled by author in November 2018 due to loss of interest, posted their plot notes on the conclusion)
- Synopsis: Remnant. The word left a bad taste in my mouth even now, so many years after I'd woken to find myself in this living nightmare. The strong survived and the weak perished, trampled underfoot by those with the willpower to do what was necessary. My goal, then, was simple: to survive, regardless of the cost. Realistic character progression. T for language.
- Comments: I wouldn't rec this story to anyone. The MC comes off as a complete asshole to everyone, including his own friends. Rather than becoming more than that, he still remains such throughout the story and gets off scotch free despite one of his nastier schemes are found out. Unless you want to read a story with an asshole of an MC that escapes with nearly everything he does, I give this story a firm de-rec.
- This story is brilliant and clever in a brutally realistic kind of way. It takes a pragmatic sort of person to really understand why the MC does the things he does, but I would most certainly recommend this story for anyone who likes to see the stupid and naive get their world view threatened.
- Remembrance Embers by TheClonesLegacy
- Recommended by Emperor Klonen
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Ten years after Beacon fell, the world has become under the control of The Cleric Foundation, an old organization from Remnants dark past. Team RWBY rejoin to not only free the world from The Cleric Foundation. But also must free themselves of their past mistakes.
- Tags: Cyberpunk Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: This story has some pacing problems, but overall is an enjoyable ride so far, with the author promising an entire trilogy. There is also a Prequel of anthology stories that the author is allowing people to contribute too.
- Remnant's Reclaimer by Hysterical Clerical Hijinks
- Recommended by: Cuda, Evil Master, Dame-Amaryllis
- Status: Dead (last update March 2016)
- Synopsis: Ruby finds herself facing her end. As she pushes her semblance to new heights, the world breaks. In one fluid, crystallising moment everything changes. A 23-year-old Ruby Rose, one of the deadliest hunters on Remnant, spills out of the void and into the dorm of team RWBY, including a 15-year-old version of herself. A hunter in a world of unknowing prey.
- Pairing: Ruby/Blake (Ladybug), Weiss/Yang (Freezer Burn), Older!Ruby/Glynda (Hoodwitch)
- Comments: Time travel AU fic but done so incredibly well. Eight years of war has transformed Ruby (known in the fic as Rose) into a very complex, tragic and dangerous person. And also incredibly brazen, vulgar and horny, which thoroughly embarrasses her younger self and teammates along the way. All the characters are magnificently written and the world-building and plot is so detailed that it's awe-inspiring. This is a fic that would be good enough to be its own spinoff series.
- Has its own page here.
- Rending Trilogy by Kentethalion
- Recommended by omegaman
- Status: Book 1 is Complete, Book 2 is Dead (last update August 2015)
- Pairings: Blake/Yang (Bumblebee), Weiss/Sun, Ruby/Ren
- Synopsis: Beacon had always seemed an impenetrable fortress, a light in the dark that couldn't be snuffed. But now, with Vale overrun, their numbers dwindling and enemies snarling at their gates, the remaining students of Beacon Academy must make a final stand, risking everything to protect their home.
- Tags: Character death
- Resurgence by Kraven Ergeist
- Recommended by: darkdill, 4maskwolf
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Jaune/Pyrrha, Jaune/Ruby, Blake/Yang, Ren/Nora
- Synopsis: Post Season 3 - The strongest are those who can get back up with the bitter taste of defeat still fresh in their mouths. Ruby and her new team are trying to save as many as they can while they wait for Cinder's next move. But Cinder has a new weapon in store for the huntsmen in training. And this weapon wears a familiar face...
- Comments: This story is simply amazing. Kraven Ergeist could actually give Miles and Kerry a run for their money with his story, which presents a very well-written continuation of the RWBY story following the ending of Season 3. There's a lot of angst and hurt to be found, but he still does a great job keeping in moments of humor at just the right times. You would be a fool to pass this one up.
- Rewrite the History Books by Snapers
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver, 4maskwolf
- Status: Dead (last updated February 2017)
- Synopsis: Jaune felt pretty damn good about finally defeating Cinder, which might have been why he forgot she was a sore loser. In a blast of Maiden power, he's suddenly a decade in the past. No, the fact that Cinder and the White Fang are still alive and kicking doesn't worry him, he can handle them. He's worried about how he can watch 17-year-old Jaune Arc and not strangle himself...
- Comments: A time travel fic in which an older, snarkier, cynical, jaded, more suave Jaune Arc is sent back in time after defeating Cinder. The chapters are long, the story is good, and the Author manages to make it all work very well. Well worth the read.
- Tags: Adventure, Family.
- RWBY Abridged Series by ZehOverseer
- Recommended by Glittering Wolf
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Another abridged series that is really, really funny with Ruby as the Only Sane Man. What more can I say?
- RWBY Loops - Compiled by Leviticus Wilkes & Written by Multiple Authors
- Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis, Robinton
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Stuck repeating everyday? Bored out of your mind? With only your friends along for the ride? Why, it's just like school! Of course, the Infinite Loops are a lot more fun then Beacon Academy, as Ruby Rose is about to find out. Part of the Infinite Loops project.
- Now with its own tropes page.
- RWBY PI
- Recommended by D3irdr 3 R33s
- Status: Dead (last update November 2015)
- Synopsis: A sniper enthusiast, a fencing prodigy and heiress to a multi-billion lien company, a former member of the White Fang and a teen boxing champion come together to fight the corruption and crime lurking beneath Vale's shiny exterior. RWBY, Modern-AU. Rated M for safety.
- Comments: Good story so far, and the author is attempting an... interesting update style. While there are grammar issues and, as the writer himself admits, some typo's, it is nothing too glaring or distracting from the story.
- RWBY Puppy by Whiteeyes
- Recommended by: GLH
- Status: Dead (last update April 2015)
- Synopsis: Ruby's mother was a faunus, and being a child of both a human and a faunus has major impact on Ruby and Yang as they grow up.
- Has its own page here.
- RWBY: Reckoning by Trogdor7620
- Recommended by lordhoth444
- Status: Dormant; last updated February 2020
- Synopsis: A good self insert fic where Darrel is pulled from our world to the world of RWBY by an unknown force in order to save two worlds. He must now survive in an alien world by his wits and new skills.
- Tags: Self-Insert Fic
- Has its own page here.
- RWBY: Resolve by PrognisAldiev
- Recommended by: Green Goblin
- Status: Dormant; last updated February 2020
- Synopsis: Beacon has had its share of extraordinary new students as of late, but one more is about to be accepted in that trumps them all in just how unusual he is. Those learning at the academy will soon find that sometimes your peers can teach you lessons as well… and that the most sinister plans can be hidden.
- Comments: Despite the somewhat vague summary, the story itself is a well written (both in terms of content and grammar) and interesting ride. The plot runs parallel to the series canon and the author has made it a point to make sure that the events of the main plot don't change for the most part, with only slight alterations when they do. Mind you, this doesn't mean the OC characters don't interact with the main cast, they do, but they're all well done and add depth to the main plot. You could easily see this story with its characters existing in RWBY canon. It even has its own side story called XTRA: Resolve, which covers material not seen in the main fic, at least, for the most part. The characters are great, have their own lives, and while the focus is on the protagonist, we still learn about them as well. Easily one of the best RWBY OC stories out there, I can't recommend it enough.
- RWBY: Ruben Thorn by Fenric Lobo
- Recommended by ADOGSNIPER
- Status: Dead (last updated April 2017)
- Summary: Ruby Rose has become Ruben Thorn. The gender equivalents to the main cast changes the dynamic, the story, and even the character's themselves. Follow Ruben, Winter, Blair, and Yin as they try to survive the antics of Beacon, the White Fang, Nefarious Criminal Roman, and many other friends and enemies.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Rule 63
- RWBY: Stolen Innocence by Dust2Dust17
- Recommended by: Candy Soda Queen
- Status: Completed
- Synopsis: Ruby has a traumatic experience which she may never recover from or can leave in the past.
- Comments: This is very unique Dark Fic on it starts with Ruby getting raped to a bigger conflict for the main characters and setting. It has great storytelling and switching between perspectives and the author introduced a well-explained backstory, situations, and fights.
- RWBY: Sunshine and Shadows II by RejectedKnight34
- Recommended by: deamonking
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Blake/Yang (Bumblebee), Ruby/Weiss (White Rose) and others
- Synopsis: After receiving a distress call from Mistral, RWBY and first-year team OAQE investigate under the guise of a training mission. But when a war breaks out and the two teams are caught in the middle, RWBY will find that they're destined for greatness and that OAQE is not all they seem. A villain as evil as he is charming, a full spectrum of henchmen...The White War has begun.
- Comments: A great Bumblebee story that takes place after Sunshine and Shadows (by the same author). It is an AU and the characters have graduated from beacon. A variety of relationship dynamics as well as good action scenes are on show. Both the prequel and this are relatively long as well, and will consume few days of your life. Smut scenes are prevalent in the story as it was designed as a bumblebee smut piece. While not required, reading Sunshine and Shadows first is recommended.
- RWBY Superhero Universe by Zeroan
- Recommended by: Hero 2014 & Gorshanx
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Heavily inspired by the MCU, the RSU is a series of stories that reimagines Team RWBY and the World of Remnant as a modern superhero shared universe. Where Auras and Semblances are rare and considered comic book-like superpowers, Huntmen & Huntress are our superheroes, super villains scheme and the monsters of Grimm still lurk, threatening to destroy us all. While each story in the RSU is designed to be enjoyed both as a standalone, they're also a part of a grand, larger narrative, that's just wrapped up it's first two phases.
- Comments: An intriguing Alternate Universe fic that takes inspiration from the Marvel Cinematic universe, turning Ruby from a huntress into a superhero. And much like the Marvel Cinematic universe, the story isn't over once you reach the last page.
- RWBY: The Abridged Series by RWBY: The Abridged Series
- Recommended by: Maiko 2853
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Basically an Abridged Series comedy where most of the characters have different personalities.
- Comments: You know how some abridged series start out slow? Well RWBY The Abridged series manages to be good right from the start. I'll admit, the first episode is a little clunky and sometimes the voices and sound effects don't sound quite right, but for the most part they manage to do a job well done. Most of the characters are hilariously dark and manages to be really entertaining because of it. The jokes might turn you off if you're not into black comedy or just think the jokes are in poor taste. But I'm confident this series will at least give a few chuckles to most that choose to view it.
- RWBY: The Parody by Maniac92
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver
- Status: Dead; last updated January 2018
- Synopsis: RWBY is the tale of Ruby Rose, an adorable fifteen-year-old girl who slaughters monsters! Hooray! With the help of her sister, a temperamental heiress, and a girl who definitely isn't hiding anything, Ruby will battle monsters, criminals, and the inane humor that comes with being in a parody. Rated T for strong language and suggestive humor.
- Comments:
- A retelling of RWBY, but with a healthy dose of humor, lots of lampshading, and 4th wall breaking. Characters are both OOC and in character at the same time, and the Author manages to retell the series by both keeping it largely the same, and by breaking it down and lampshading it.
- Tags: Humor, Parody
- RWBY: Tomorrow and Never Again by PaulXion
- Recommended by: Commander 145
- Status: Dormant; last updated November 2019
- Pairings: Jaune/ growing harem
- Synopsis: The war has torn Remnant apart. The Hunters have failed and Grimms now lay siege to the city. Everyone we know and love are gone. But there was still a chance to set this right. A chance to change things... for better or for worse. And sadly, the only candidate left was the weakest among them. But perhaps... it was enough.
- Comments: A Peggy Sue fic in which Jaune Arc, armed with the knowledge of a Bad Future, goes back to the very beginning of RWBY to set things right. While some events still takes place according to canon, Jaune instead changes the future with his knowledge of what would happen as well as having a little something known as Black Dust which may tip the balance of power between the forces of good and evil. The canon characters are all very well-written in terms of staying in character, and the few OCs mentioned are also quite well placed and contribute significantly to the overall plot. The various fight sequences were definitely the highlight of the fic, which were pretty fantastically written and include some pretty spectacular moments. Due to the fact that this Peggy Sue fic has continued even though Volume 3 has ended, it has spun off into another direction separately from Volume 4, and only time may tell if the writer would include any story plot details from Volume 4 in this fic in future.
- Tags: Peggy Sue
- Now has a trope page.
- Second Generation: A Tale of Racism, Romance, Revenge, and Relics by VerseWarden
- Recommended by: Bomberman121890
- Status: Dead; last updated December 2018
- Synopsis: The War of Salem took place 20 years after the fall of Beacon, and with much personal sacrifice, humanity has won the day. Now, another ten years later, criminal and Grimm activity are at an all-time low. However, there has been a recent spike in activity which has been unexplainable by normal means. The story follows Teams VOLN and CRNS, first-year students at New Beacon. Under the guidance of Headmaster Oscar Pine, they are ready to learn all they may need to know to protect people. However, life as a student proves more challenging than they thought. As each student is hiding something, Teams VOLN and CRNS get more and more trapped in a web of conspiracies, both political and mystical. Can they unravel the age-old mysteries of Remnant in time to save it from a new threat? Or will the world of Remnant fall with them helpless to stop the onslaught? The story is currently in its fourth volume, running with a new chapter weekly.
- Comments: This story starts out as a relatively light-hearted Flash Forward Fic mirroring the progression of RWBY proper. However, by the end of the first volume, its plot starts to run much deeper as it begins to tell its own stories. It really starts to diverge from the main story with the reveal late in the first volume that all of the main cast of RWBY died in the war ten years prior to the start of the fic. From there, it’s gone uphill in terms of lore and world-building, setting up its own plot involving the Gods and Relics.
- Tags: Mystery, Drama, Fantasy, Original Character, Flash Forward Fic
- It now has a trope page!
- Recommended by: Bomberman121890
- Silver by Imyoshi
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Forced to admit that Crocea Mors did not feel right in his hands—no matter how he held it—Jaune Arc strives to overcome this obstacle through the crazy idea that aura can become more than just the armor that protects him. Barriers break as he pushes past the limits of what aura can do, creating and forging his very own weapons from the manifestation of his soul.
- Comments: A fantastically crafted fic which centers around JNPR with RWBY being side characters, but no less important because of this. Team JNPR is represented faithfully, and the story itself is well written and thought out.
- Seconded. It differentiates itself from the thousands of other Badass!Jaune fics by focusing on the entire Team JNPR, rather than just Jaune, and being more about character development than an actual ongoing plot. There is a plot, but the events of the story are more about driving the four characters to grow and change than it is about fighting Cinder or The Grimm. A very compelling and fascinating read.
- Snow by Interdimensionalmeatpie
- Recommended by: Taxima
- Status: Complete
- Spoilers: Volume 3 Finale
- Synopsis: Here, beyond all things, Pyrrha Nikos finds her way into eternity.
- Comments: A very touching light read of everyone who died in Volume 3 moving into the afterlife. There's no dialogue, but the imagery is wonderful.
- Songs and Comforts by H'te Rarpee
- Recommended by: ultimomant, bluedragonx
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Jaune finds himself on the roof in a state of melancholy, so he decides to sing for the first time in years.
- Stark by donutkirby
- Recommended by: Aurora313
- Status: Dead; last updated July 2019
- Synopsis: Before Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang began their journey as Huntresses, before Remnant was threatened by the machinations of Cinder Fall...there was Team STRQ, the shining hope of Beacon Academy. This is the story of four brave youths who fought for what they believed in...and paid the price. (Note: It's rated T now, but might change to M if I decide to include adult/graphic scenes)
- Comments: A very good interpretation of Team STRQ's formation and dives straight into investigation of a strange threat. The plot develops quickly into an intriguing tale, with great descriptions and the author updates regularly. Team STRQ's characters come across as plausible incarnations of their younger selves.
- Substitute Actor by General Trash
- Recommended by damthastru
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The adventures of Ash T. Sherman and his many failed attempts at not making friends.
- Tags: OC, Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: Though on the surface a standard OC-replaces-Jaune quest, Substitute Actor establishes itself as a gut-bustingly funny, distinctively caustic ride right off the bat. Sherman's one-track military mind, his refreshing and varied dynamics with the other characters, and the General's stated intention to avoid mindlessly rehashing canon story beats all make for a very good time. In this troper's opinion, the best thing about the story so far is the way minor characters and teams are reshuffled to force them to interact and grow in new, unexpected ways.
- Now has a tropes page.
- Team CLVR (silver) by Teller Graves
- Recommended by LordKnightcon
- Status: Dead (last updated October 2016)
- Summary: The journey of a young girl trying to earn her place at the famous Omen Academy to begin her training as a Huntress. She and her brother are slowly drawn into the conflict in Vale as they begin to uncover the secrets of their own past. This is an OC fanfiction that starts in the kingdom of Atlas two years before the start of RWBY, and runs parallel to the canon plot.
- Tags: OC
- Comments: Contains a great deal of personal canon for Atlas, such as a combat school named "Herald" and General Ironwood's academy being called "Omen", as well as the process involved in creating a weapon.
- Tensile Strength of the Soul by Person With Many Aliases
- Recommended by Tikigod 784
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: There were once three children. One looked at the ground and hated the world. One looked at the stars and hated herself. One looked forward and hated her past. Then one day, they looked at each other. Slight AU, Rated T.
- Comments: The story has good action, an interesting premise, and presents an interesting, if AU, interpretation of certain characters' backgrounds. See if you can spot the Metal Gear Rising reference.
- The Best Laid Plans by RadiantBeam
- Recommended by: mysterius
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "Ruby. This is a horrible idea. Please tell me you realize this is a horrible idea."
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- The Clean Sweep (RWBY Noir AU) by Cardshark92
- Recommended by: Dark Deceiver
- Status: Dead (last updated November 2017)
- Synopsis: A detective story in the style of Phillip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Tracer Bullet (but probably nowhere near as good), about a few women with pasts, a man with no future, a city collapsing under the weight of its own sins, and a war that could set them all ablaze.
- Comments: Just as the synopsis says, this fic is in the style of old Detective Noir stories, and it certainly shows. Although the Author is new to writing, he nails most of the aspects of a Noir story. The narration fits the style very well, and the story itself is very enjoyable to read, with Jaune as a private detective who ends up taking a case which throws him in the middle of a gang war.
- Tags: Mystery.
- The Commission by CV12Hornet
- Recommended by: Reads-By-Lamplight, Dame-Amaryllis, Justafan
- Status: Dead (cancelled by author due to lack of interest)
- Synopsis: RWBY AU. At the flip of a coin... Right can become wrong... Light can turn to dark... And the mightiest of heroes... can become the greatest of villains.
- Comments: This is a great read and in spite, or maybe because of being an AU has some of the best RWBY internal interactions I've ever read. It also neatly avoids the pitfall of ANGST ANGST ANGST and manages to uphold the light tone of RWBY throughout the story.
- Has its own page here.
- The Gentle Art of Making Enemies by feistyslapofpain
- Recommended by kadeyrn, Person With Many Aliases, Mcnickel
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss/Blake, Weiss/Blake/Yang, Jaune/Pyrrha, Ren/Nora
- Synopsis: In which Blake is perfectly natural, Weiss gets ice cream in her hair, and Ruby and Yang would have to be really, really drunk.
- Tags: Continuation
- Note: A continuation of Volume 1, written before Volume 2. Worth recommending on the quality of the primary relationship alone (Pollination, aka team RWBY OT 4), the characterization and interaction of the cast is definitely the star of the show. It's also consistently funny and mostly lighthearted, though there is occasional mood whiplash into some fairly bleak territory. Also be advised about more risque scenes. Hormonal teenage girls, they are, even if written with care.
- The Gray between Black and White by Master Dude the 21st
- Recommended by kgk26
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss
- Synopsis: "We are Onyx. We watch. We serve. We protect." A young and kinesics-gifted Ruby Rose wants to become a symbol of Hope in a world where monsters of Grimm are evolving and the kingdom of Vale lies isolated. But lies and violence corrupt the relationship between humans and Fauna and soon, she will have to make a choice. How far can you go?
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, Lemon, Original Character
- Comments: Currently sitting at 526,204 words at the time of this review and still ongoing. This is one of the longest and arguably one of the best, RWBY fics out there. Characterizations are spot on, the drama is heavy and engaging, and featuring some of the best written original characters I have even seen. The plot is thick and rather convoluted at the moment, but the author promises everything will eventually make sense in the long run. As the title states, gray morality is a constant theme in this fic.
- Complete at 657,072
- The Ozpin files by Anon_H
- Recommended by: henry42, Dame-Amaryllis, bigfatcarp93, Robinton, Animenutcase, BobtheBoldore
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: After another successful hack, Cinder learns that Ozpin isn't the fearsome opponent she had made him out to be. He is actually kind of a prick.
- Tags: Crack Fic
- Comments: Is Ozpin an idiot or a genius? He may be both.
Words truly cannot describe how hilarious and wonderful this fic is. You are doing yourself a disservice not to read it. - Has a page.
- The Power of Dust, by StorSpeaker
- Recommended by Trogdor7620
- Status: Dead; last updated August 2018
- Synopsis: While on a school trip to a new dig site. Jerry, a dorky sixteen-year-old finds a crystal filled with Dust, with a capital 'D'. His body-filled power makes him a target from a criminal, and the people who can save Jerry belong in a world that shouldn't be real. These people are 'Team RWBY'. Trust me; this isn't your typical OC story. note
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: This story was inspired by Trogdor7620's RWBY: Reckoning. So far, a very immersive and enjoyable story, with really unique characters. Overall, it's a story that is really coming into it's own, and is up there with writing.
- The Price of Power by CrossyCross
- Recommended by Rikion Invictus
- Status: Dead (last update May 2016)
- Synopsis: A quest where a young Jaune will go through hell to become a badass...or die trying.
- ''Tags: Dark Fic, Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: We all hate how weak Jaune was in canon and thus many had taken to making Jaune into a badass in their fics. CrossyCross decided to make him work for it. All in all a very enjoyable read, if rather dark, with plenty of OCs that fit into the setting.
- The Ruby Ritual by Mzingalwa
- Recommended by: needsmoresleep
- Status: Dead (confirmed in this post.)
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss and Ruby/Winter. Seems to be moving towards full Ruby/Harem.
- Synopsis: An alternate universe remnant where Hunters have to contend with demons and those who summon them in addition to the Grimm. You, the readers, are given control of Ruby Rose. Help her survive and become the hero that she has always dreamed of being.
- Comments: A user-controlled quest game in the style of RWBY Quest. It ended at 170 parts, although the updates tend to be quite infrequent. The character interactions are decently written, and the interactivity of being able to send in prompts adds a lot to the fanfic (especially considering how many readers, myself included, have been attempting to steer Ruby towards world domination, albeit with limited success for the time being).
- The Shadow of Fire by Dagger of Faith
- Recommended by Skybrigadier
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss (White Rose), Blake/Yang (Bumblebee)
- Synopsis: Team RWBY has a target painted on its back as a crack of a sniper rifle sends the team spiraling into chaos. When Weiss meets a strange yet powerful man, also seeking the same goal of vengeance, will the orders of Fate and Light prevail? Can Weiss halt the series of events that could crush the very foundation of their home, or is Vale doomed to eternal Darkness?
- Comments: A thrilling read that begins with the RWBY cast being caught in a mundane assassination plot that quickly escalates into a war upon god-like figures. Word of warning: the story does pair together Ruby and Weiss fairly early, in case it isn't your cup of tea.
- The White Rose of Vermillion by Kuribayashi
- Recommended by ultimomant, Zelenal, NominalNumenorian, 4maskwolf
- Status: Dead; last updated August 2019
- Pairings: Ruby/Weiss (White Rose), Blake/Yang (Bumblebee), Nora/Ren
- Synopsis: AU where the cast of RWBY live in a pastoral village community. Ruby spends her days as a Huntress, hunting wild game to support herself and her older sister Yang, a local blacksmith. Time period is set in medieval times in the Kingdom of Vale, right before the discovery of dust. Adventure and eventual romance with multiple pairs. Contains blood, violence, language, and sensuality.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic
- These Broken Wings by FandomsLastsForever
- Status: Dead (last updated December 2018)
- Pairings: James Ironwood/ Qrow Branwen, Qrow Brawnen/ Ozpin, James Ironwood/Qrow Brawnen/ Ozpin
- Recommended by: Oracle Of Destiny
- Synopsis: Magic, romance, grand displays of heroism. All of these and more are depicted in the legends of Remnant, as varied as the world itself. But one thing all the stories have in common are four relics of immense power. James finds himself in possession of one of these relics, and as the world around him begins to crumble, it's up to his butler Qrow to escort him away from the dying kingdom in the north, coming across various colorful characters as they fight to survive, and face their demons together.
- Think of the Children by Moczo
- Recommended by: Twiddler, BobtheBoldore
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Nora, a Valkyrie assigned to Ren, realizes that he has no children to carry on his bloodline, and seeks to remedy this by trying to set him up with anyone willing to bear his children. Many hijinks ensue.
- Comments: This whole story was a wild ride from start to finish. The dialogue and comedic flow are top notch.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Those Silver Eyes by OldSchoolVinny
- Recommended by Contributor
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Eight years ago, Ozpin made the biggest mistake of his life. One that cost the life of a great huntress, and another huntress' faith in humanity.
- Comments: A fantastic fic that manages to be surprising and heart-wrenching even though its events are a Foregone Conclusion. It also gives brief appearances to Team RWBY when they were younger, giving an idea of how they'll grow up to be who they are in the series proper.
- Through Her Eyes by Peroth
- Recommended by: Qrow, Heckfire, Circlechains, Enderheisenberg
- Status: Complete, undergoing rewrite at Spacebattles.
- Synopsis: Ruby is born with an unusual and dangerous power: the power to summon Grimm. Sheltered, shy, and carefully watched, Ruby is suddenly invited to join Beacon Academy. With the awful potential her power carries and a disturbing deformity that could out her to her peers, Ruby is tested in protecting the humanity of Remnant while keeping a dangerous secret. - AU, sorta follows canon.
- Comments: A realistic take on Bad Powers, Good People (one of my favorite tropes), and a refreshing story where a character other than Jaune gets a cool new power. Contrary to what you might think, Ruby's new powers do not make her a game-breaker, or really any more powerful than her canon self (at least not yet) or make her completely different in personality. Now has a tropes page.
- An excellent piece of writing that not only offers a new twist on the source material that still somehow feels genuine to it, it goes one step further by actually fleshing out some of the underdeveloped elements of RWBY itself. What could have easily been a run-of-the-mill darkfic instead ends up both a celebration of the show and, at the same time, a satisfying work unto itself.
- Vengeance of a Brother by MrSparky6277
- Recommended by: Exo AMSR
- Status: Dead (last updated March 2017)
- Synopsis: How far can you run from your past? Can you ever actually escape it, or will it always come back to haunt you? With a dark history and many enemies, Ike attempts to leave his past life with hopes to have a brighter future. Will he be able to do it? Or will past enemies and abandoned friends stop him from reaching his happy ending?
- Various Vytal Ventures by Rassilon001
- Recommended by ultimomant, bluedragonx, Contributor
- Status: Dead (last update January 2016)
- Synopsis: A collection of fun side stories and adventures shared by our favorite RWBY characters. Each chapter can be read as a stand alone story in its own right.
- Now has Its Own Tropes Page
- What's in a Name? by Moczo
- Recommended by: throwaawy, mysterius, gamermaster, Mikowmer
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Tired of the effort of choosing all the names for new teams at Beacon, Professor Ozpin acquires a new piece of software intended to make things a little easier on the staff. He probably should have done a little more window shopping first.
- Tags: Crack Fic
- White Sheep (RWBY) by Coeur Al'Aran
- Recommended by: Troscus, Discar
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Every family has its odd member, the one that doesn't fit. Jaune was just that, the black sheep. He had always wanted to be the hero, to be a Huntsman. But when your name is Jaune Salem Arc - Prince of the Grimm - and your mother is understandably against the idea, what is a young man to do? Why, run away to attend Beacon in pursuit of a dream, of course. What could go wrong?
- Comments: An AU let down by its own summary. This story is a comedy that, despite the ridiculous nature of its premise, takes the effects of that difference on the plot and motives of its characters very seriously. Jaune, despite having wildly different reasons for coming to Beacon and much more impressive abilities, still feels like Jaune because of a variety of circumstances that the author carefully balances to be believable, important to the story and comedically impactful. The entire plot, while based mostly on misunderstandings, is hilarious yet tense despite that. Dramatic irony is very prevalent and almost every interaction between characters leads to ruining someone else's plan. Very well written, and extremely well thought out.
- Now has a trope page.
- Zodiac by inkbender
- Recommended by throwaawy, Whistle 9
- Status: Dead (put into indefinite hiatus)
- Synopsis: If the RWBY characters were all faunus… AU in which a certain Jaune Arc fakes his transcript to gain admission into an all-faunus battle school - except he's the only human being in all of Menagerie. With his luck, it doesn't take long before he's embroiled within all their petty school politics. Which may or may not be related to all those unplanned panty shots.
- The Knights of Grimm - Act 1 - An Eye for An Eye, Act 2 - Captured, Act 3 - Shattered Memory, Act 4 - Whispers of Arkhonex, and Act 5 - The Oncoming Shadow by Cosmic Fiction''
- ''Recommended by Hubertus Isegrim
- Status: An Eye For An Eye, Captured, Shattered Memory, and Whispers of Arkhonex: Completed. The Oncoming Shadow: Ongoing.
- Pairings: Jaune/Pyrrha (Arkos), Ren/Nora (Re Nora), Blake/Sun (Black Sun), Weiss/Neptune (Iceberg), Yang/OC (Firecracker), Ruby/Oscar Pine (Rosegarden)
- Synopsises Act 1: Team RWBY are reunited at Haven Academy, planning their next move against Cinder and Salem, when a new enemy rises from the darkness, a new servant of the Dark Queen. And this monster will destroy the team in a way that will never be recovered, and tear the other heroes apart before killing them all. The events that transpire will never be forgotten in Remnant...
- Act 2: Mistral has fallen, the Knights of Grimm are killing all life on Remnant and Death is hatching some sort of scheme that could prove lethal to both sides of the coin. With Ruby captured and left to Tyrian's mercy, the survivors must find out how to find her, meeting new allies along the way, whilst being hunted by the Grimm, Acolytes of Lien, and the Onyx Phantom...
- Act 3: 5 years have passed since Ruby was saved, and the Grimm have disappeared. Beacon and Mistral are still undergoing repairs but the schools have reopened. After the heroes are called to Vacuo on a mysterious assassination, Jaune becomes even more desperate to find and help Pyrrha to bring her home. (Arkos) Whilst a bigger threat emerges from the shadows where they thought it fell.
- Act 4: War has begun - Faunus and Humanity at each other's throats. And in a dying world, Ruby's inner demons are darkening her soul, turning her into a monster. Jaune realises that there is more to his family history than he thought, and Kassius now searches for Merlot. All in the hopes of finding a cure for Horridus Morbus, their destination is the same - The Lost City of Arkhonex...
- Act 5: The Shivering Dominion has begun. Vir Nominis Umbra has set his final plan in motion, to acquire the Four Relics and erase Remnant and its Universe from existence. Ruby Rose, and her family and friends are all that stand in his way, but even they will have to make sacrifices. Heroes and Villains will fall. It is not a question of who will die, but merely who will be left...
- Comments: A series that takes place after Volume 4. Team RWBY is reunited at Haven where they meet up with the rest of RNJR and SSSN. Oscar takes a prominent role in this fic and for him and Ruby, it's a slow burn romance that happens between those two. While brutal to shocking at moments, the author takes time to slowly develop the characters. There are OC's in this fic and while some take a prominent role, they don't take the spotlights in this fic. It is a very enjoyable series to read with a lot of elements added to it. A good shot on Volume 4 and what will happen afterward.
- A Talk Worth Having, by College Fool
- Recommended by krimzonflygon2
- Status: Completed
- Synopsis: There must be a limit to how innocent and naive their team leaders can be. There must be. But until it's found...
- Tags: Humor
- Comments: You know all those fanfics that over-exaggerate Ruby's innocence to womanchild levels, especially the more risque ones? This one takes that concept and plays it to the hilt, much to poor Blake's chagrin, and every second of it is absolutely hilarious. It's rated T, but it skirts a little close to NSFW territory at times, so fair warning.
- In the Kingdom's Service, by Coeur Al'Aran
- Recommended by pspcole
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Jaune Arc, Field Agent of the VSS - Vale's Secret Service, or at least that's what he's been told. All he knows is that they found out about his faked transcripts, and now he works in the interests of the Kingdom. With terrorists on the horizon, not to mention a shady organisation and an even shadier group operating under Ozpin, what's a bumbling teen turned secret agent to do?
- Tags: Adventure,Crime
- Comments: While so many fanfics involve Jaune Arc becoming a main character this one might actually do it the best. While saying too much will spoil the fun. Everyone has their agenda and the story is portrayed rather more interesting then other stories. Especially how they portray Mountain Glen. Overall a great story and one I recommend highly.
- Matters of the Heart, by Vengefulfate
- Recommended by Mister Cuddlesworth
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: When Ruby is injured as a child, Taiyang becomes incredibly overprotective. His attempts to shield her from the world drives Ruby to run away. Five years pass, and a highly trained and more seasoned Ruby joins Beacon. Once there, her past collides with her present in an ugly way, as she is forced to interact with her sister, and the family she has long resented. (Ladybug present)
- Tags: Family/Hurt,Comfort
- Comments: Where to even start? This is one of those ones that just leaps off the page and pulls the reader in. It's very easy to lose oneself entirely, and only realize when you've finished that you just read 76,000 words without stopping. Incredible blend of seriousness and humor, and very good overall pacing, though the ending comes a bit out of left field. Any of the authors other works are also highly recommended alongside this one.
- Through The Eyes Of An Assassin, by Wuolong77
- Recommended by midnightandmoon
- Status: Dead; last updated January 2018
- Synopsis: RWBY told from the perspective of Lie Ren. But considering his small impact until the end of season 3 this is just an excuse to tell my own story about the world of Remnant. Slightly AU until the end of Volume 3. Rated T for violence.
- Tags: Drama/Adventure
- Comments: A genre-busting AU centering around a very different "Lie Ren" who enters Beacon alongside Nora to escape his past as a field agent for a mysterious hidden kingdom. Excellently written and excellently researched, this fic is a masterpiece of world-building that draws inspiration from conspiracy/spy thrillers, wuxia, crime/mystery, and urban fantasy adventure stories while still being fresh and unique. Fics that retell RWBY can feel a little repetitive these days, but this fic contains so much homespun material about Ren's past; the mysterious, foreign intelligence service-like Organization he used to work for; and his present challenges operating in the underworld to stay one step ahead of the Organization while maintaining his cover as an average student at Beacon. The author does a fantastic job of providing exposition when it's needed and letting the character's actions and what's not said imply the rest. An absolute must-read for fans of martial arts, the wuxia genre, great world-building, and complex characters.
- Recovery by ShippingK8
- Recommended by: Cracknut
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Yang/Weiss (Freezerburn)
- Synopsis: Yang and Weiss are in Atlas and try to help each other recover from the fall of Beacon. Each has to fight hard against obstacles to move forward and reach their goals. Lots of ups and downs, dealing with serious issues, loads of character development, an extra side of angst, fights scenes, and a touch of corporate espionage. SLOW burn, fluff n stuff at the end.
- Redemption by RainStorm4
- Recommended by: LadyRochester, enderheisenberg, Teslashark
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Russel/Yang
- Synopsis: Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of RWBY, told through the eyes of Russel Thrush and his team. Friendship, drama, (hopefully) some humour to build up some characters with a lot of potential who, at the moment in the show, are fairly 2D. CRDL-centric, but with plenty of interaction with the other teams.
- Rogue AU by Berserksarecool
- Recommended by Cracknut
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Yang/Weiss (Freezerburn)
- Synopsis: It's been 2 years since the Vytal Festival "Incident" and Yang Xiao long has become a much different woman; a criminal. She has evaded capture for years but now a chance meeting will bring her back into contact with her old team.
- Tags: AU fic
- The Unseen Hunt by Coeur al'Aran
- Recommended by: buckyb
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: TBD (but seemingly gearing up for Jaune/Ruby)
- Synopsis: Jaune was only worried about two things in life; graduating from high school and dodging his hated bully. He didn't care about the supernatural, nor believe in it. But a chance encounter with a mysterious girl in red will open his eyes to a world that lives beside our own, a dangerous and deadly secret. But beware, child, for eyes once opened to the truth may never again be closed.
- Comments: By far the darkest fic to come from Couer al'Aran, this imagines the Grimm as ephemeral, malevolent spirits that can become tangible on certain nights - and only visible to children and teenagers who encounter them. Jaune is unlucky enough to become Awakened, and gets drawn into a world quite unlike his own.
- Now has a trope page.
- A Different Shade of RWBY by ElectronicYarn
- Recommended by: Zoic Alcelaphine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: What if Yang was raised by Raven? What if Blake never left the White Fang? What if Weiss never decided to become a huntress? What if Ruby didn’t get into Beacon early? Welcome to a world of new solutions, where everything is the same except what really matters.
- Faeborn Communication: A RWBY Quest
- Recommended by: TrueChaos
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Wherein you are part of a bunch of voices talking to one character.
- My Own Worst Enemy by ElektricAngel
- Recommended by: Rogues Shadow
- Pairings: Roman Torchwick/Qrow Branwen/Ozpin
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: After he and Neo barely escape the Battle of Beacon with their lives, Roman is perfectly content never to see Literal Flaming Bitch or Red and her merry band of Huntresses ever again. But the new voice in his head has other ideas. And unless Roman suddenly grew a (suspiciously professorial-sounding) conscience, he’s got a serious problem of his own.
- Comments: Definitely the best RWBY fic I've ever read. All of the characters are well written but Roman is particularly great. Elektric Angel manages to make Roman fun and sympathetic without down playing the fact that he's really not a good person. The character dynamics are really fun as well, Ozpin and Roman get some great banter and the Roman&Neo sibling relationship is legitimately very sweet. So far Roman's involvement has already began to shake up major events in cannon and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
- It's Brawl in the Family by The_Escaped
- Recommended by: Rogues Shadow
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: “So what, we just run away?” Emerald wanted to know. Her face had gone twisted and haggard. “Salem will hunt us down. Cinder would do it on her own, if we-” She couldn’t even say the words.
“I have an idea,” he said slowly, “You’re gonna hate it.”
Or, the one where Mercury and Emerald get the fuck out of dodge, and get more than they bargained for in the process. - Comments: Mercury and Emerald have a great sibling-like dynamic in this fic, which is good because god knows these kids need some kind of emotional support. Somewhat dark but with a hopeful ending. The story has a sequel and looks to be shaping up to be a full fledged series.
- Now has a trope page!
- Run Boy Run, This World is Not Made For You by SpectralScathath
- Recommended by: BookCat
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Grown men shouldn't beat up kids. Mercury knows that in his bones. Spoilers for RWBY Volume 8: "Fault".
- Comments: A simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking one-shot where Mercury tends to Oscar in the aftermath of "Fault". A must-read for any Mercury fan.
- The Saga of the Swarthy Seven by Stewbacca94
- Recommended by: peripheraldevotee
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: When Vale's crown princess is abducted suddenly by a mysterious force with nefarious plans, it ultimately falls to one of her guards and a handful of rangers and adventurers to rescue the young woman. However shall they fare?
- Pairings: Ruby Rose/Nora Valkyrie, Blake Belladonna/Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos
- Comments: The first fic since Forged Destiny to have Remnant become an RPG-styled world, this work takes inspiration from World of Warcraft in particular to create a surprisingly immersive setting, with the characters and storyline both complementing it well.
- The Wandering One by Apathetic_Abstract_Apotheosis
- Recommended by: machiavellianFictionist
- Status: Parts 1-3 are Complete, series marked as on Hiatus by its author in Part 3 ending notes
- Synopsis: Weiss longs to be free. But all she feels is shackled, by family, by duty, and most of all, by herself. Freedom may be out of reach for now, but with help, perhaps broken wings won't hold her down.
- Pairings: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee/Neopolitan, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Nora Valkyrie/Lie Ren
- Comments: The most popular Faunus Weiss AU in Archive of Our Own as of this post, started in 2019 and frequently updated. Qualifies as a Fix Fic as well, altering and correcting many inconsitencies in the early narrative and giving emphasis to organic character development within the team. Weiss is the protagonist throughout the series, with great focus given to her relationships with the members of her team and her family, as well as how society treats the Faunus. I can't recommend it enough.
- Now has a trope page!
- Random Acts of Kindness by Antisthenes
- Recommended by Imperial Scholar
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The age old advice of not messing with canon to ensure the usefulness of ones knowledge is decidedly more difficult when it forces you to be cruel. Dumped in a new world, I had hoped to avoid canon events. That plan was shot to hell when I found a black haired child in a ruin. My life just got even more complicated than it already was, didn't it?
- Comments: An SI that finds Cinder as a child and opts to raise her. It is apparently the first in the 'Random Acts' series, and is full of worldbuilding. As it takes place in Atlas, it also takes a look at how day-to-day life is in Remnant. As it was started before Cinder's backstory was revealed, it does feature a different one for her. It does help that the author does away with the common SI tropes, and has Casper(the main character) basically a regular guy without over the top powers, he’s just trying to lead his new life on Remnant as peacefully as he can.
- Alternate location: Fanfiction page. for AO3 readers
- Alternate location: Fanfiction page
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- SHIT by Lord Trent Blackmore, BakaSmurf, The Oldman, and Xanothos
- recommended by Sonicfan315
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Lord Trent Blackmore, The Oldman, Xanothos, and BakaSmurf in RWBY as students of Beacon Academy. Shenaniganry liable to ensue.
- Comments: A collaborative quad-SI that initially presents itself as a comedy. It very quickly begins to delve into much more serious subject matters, such as more realistic depictions of life on remnant.
- Ironside by GodHand96
- Recommended by KnightSpark
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A re-telling of V7, where Winter Schnee does everything in her power to protect Ironwood. Even if that means going against the very "allies" she holds so near and dear. But will it be enough to save Atlas from it's untimely end? Or will they destroy themselves from within?
- Comments: (deep inhalation) Alright. There's honestly not much I can say about this particular fic due to the radical turn the author has taken with this fic. It is famous (or infamous depending on who one talks to) for making Team RWBY's decisions, past and present, appear detrimental to the overall goal. I'm not going to touch upon the critisms of the members, as everyone and their dog has done it on the reviews. Anyway, for those who are looking for a Volume 7 re-telling that makes the heroes no better than the villains they fight in a certain light, give this a read.
- Now has a trope page.
- Fractured Ribs and Horshair by Spinedog
- Recommended by: LoneOtaku
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A snap decision unexpectedly binds a stubborn deputy and disillusioned outlaw together, setting them both on a collision course with their own demons. Also, there are horses.
- Pairing: Bumblebee (Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long), (also technically Arkos, but it's mostly in the background)
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Wild West AU
- Comments: Probably one of the best AU Fics of it's kind that I've read, as a reimagining of Remnant in a old Western setting. While the slow-burn romance between the two protagonists is obviously one of the central focuses of the plot, it doesn't detract from everything else this story does so well. Adam is well-written and interesting while still being an irredeemable asshole, the OCs fit into the main plot organically without feeling intrusive, Raven is given some very interesting characterisation, and the Author somehow manages to make the horses nearly as compelling as some of the human characters. The story is rated Mature for a number of reasons, and there's a fair amount of angst and hurt/comfort to go around, but the Author does give some warning for the more squeamish or "risque" moments. Even then, they hardly detract from the story. If you're not bothered by any of that (and are able to stomach some VERY lengthy word counts in the later chapters), then this story is an absolutely rootin' and/or tootin' ride from beginning to end.
- Blackened Bluebird by Badendchan
- Recommended by: AurelaiOfTheNorth
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In one world, a troubled little bluebird leaps from the gilded cage of Atlas, and lands in the hands of three women who'd change her life forever. To become May Marigold, to become a Happy Huntress, to be loved and live happily-ever-after. In another, by a small quirk of fate, the same girl falls into the grasp of a different charismatic leader, with a different crew of outcasts. The fate of all Remnant may shift under the fluttering of a blackened bluebird’s wings.
- Pairing: May Marigold/Salem (largely manipulative on Salem's part)
- Tags: Role Swap AU (May to Cinder, Cinder to Winter, Winter to May), Attempted Suicide, Murder, Corruption Arc.
- Comments: A very angst-filled story about May Marigold surviving a suicide attempt following Trans Tribulations, being picked up by Salem, and slowly corrupted into becoming her Maiden. The writer does a phenomenal job selling every step of May's corruption arc, to the point where the reader will genuinly be along for the ride and possibly fall for Salem themselves (results may vary if you're not trans). Also, it is written in second person to avoid mentioning May's deadname, so if you ever wanted Salem to call you "Good girl", this is the fic for you.
- Jaune Arc's Counseling for Troublesome Youths by vendetta543
- Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Jaune Arc missed his chance to enroll in Beacon...at least as a student. A chance meeting with a drunk Ozpin at a bar suddenly has him offered a job as Beacon's student counselor. He thought it'd be a simple enough job...until he met one Blake Belladonna.
- Comments: A lot of wacky hijinks & serious stuffs alike. A lot of the team's issues are addressed here.
- The Sorceress of Beacon by Johnnieboy11
- Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Where the Gods had foreseen darkness, only light remained… A year after her rescue by the great warrior Ozma, Salem finds herself trying to save her sick lover through any means. Yet as her Magic fails, one of her mistakes brings her to a new world and to a dark future…
- Comments: Yes, the pre-corrupted Salem ended up in present Remant. This causes everyone to panic.
- The Tale of a Cat Most Curious by SyfyGuy2
- Recommended by: Pikamencer079
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: What if the Curious Cat was the protagonist? After Alyx's death, the Cat was alone and trapped with a broken heart, thinking they would never have release. Then four new people from Remnant appeared in the Ever After, and the Cat saw their second chance to escape. Four young people much like Alyx, but far more dangerous.
- Tags: Accusation Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deconstruction, Hurt No Comfort, Manipulation, POV Multiple, Psychological Torture, Villain Protagonist
- Comments: A fic that retells the events of and diverges from Volume 9 while deconstructing Team RWBY's actions over the course of the Solitas arc and their treatment of Ruby herself throughout, told mostly from the Curious Cat's perspective. It's a treat to read from start to finish due to how well it takes the Unintentionally Unsympathetic traits Team RWBY and Jaune are written with in canon and runs with them to create a riveting story with several twists and turns that only add to the reading experience and help tie up a lot of loose ends.
