This page is to capture all the references in RWBY that are made to Mythical Motifs. For other kinds of references, please see the following:
- For references to fairy tales, please see FairytaleMotifs.RWBY.
- For references to other works, please see ShoutOut.RWBY.
Warning: Spoilers Off applies to this page.
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Characters
Characters
Team JNPR
- Nora Valkyrie is inspired by the legend of Thor, the god of thunderstorms and strength. Thor once disguised himself as Freyja, the goddess of love and war, in order to get close enough to the man who stole his famous weapon. As a nod to Thor, Nora's weapon is based on a warhammer, and she can channel lightning to give her Super-Strength. As a nod to Freyja, Nora incorporates heart motifs into her clothing; her weapon can fire grenades that have pink hearts on them and which can create a heart-shaped attack formation. Thor also had a daughter called Thrud, who is theorised by scholars to be the valkyrie of the same name, and whose name means "strength".
- Pyrrha Nikos is inspired by the legend of Achilles, who once disguised himself as a woman called Pyrrha. Nikos comes from Nike the Greek Goddess of Victory, and when she unlocks Jaune's Aura, the words she speak come from Greek philosophy.
Ozpin's Faction
- Ozpin, although primarily based on the Wizard of Oz is also based on Odin, the Norse God. He possesses great wisdom and magical power. Odin was kept informed of the events of the world through two ravens called Huginn and Muninn. When Yang tells Blake about her mother, Raven, there is a Norse poem in the background, containing stanzas about Huginn and Muninn. Raven and her twin brother, Qrow, kept Ozpin informed of the events of the world because he used his magic to give them the ability to shapeshift into their namesake birds. Also like Odin, Ozpin is capable of travelling around the world in forms unrecognisable to even those who know him: instead of dying, his memories, Soul and Aura are transported into new bodies, thereby changing his identity every time.
- Qrow & Raven Branwen
- Qrow is based on Muninn, one of Odin's two ravens in Norse mythology. His twin sister Raven is based on Huginn. The line from the Grímnismál, I fear for Hugin, that he come not back, yet more anxious am I for Munin, is the Benjamin Thorpe translation, which can be seen on the blackboard in "Burning the Candle". Raven's fleeing of Ozpin's task is a reference to Hugin's failure to return in that line. Salem refers to them as 'eyes'; when Tyrian reports that he's poisoned Qrow, Salem mentions 'the second eye is blinded', a reference to Raven (the other eye) having abandoned Ozpin years ago (Odin famously had only one eye). Ozpin later confirms that he gave the twins the power to shapeshift into birds so that they can gather intel on Salem's activities and the locations of new Maidens.
- Their surname comes from Brânwen ("blessed/white raven"), the Welsh goddess of love who possessed the ability to communicate with birds, and her name means "blessed/white raven". She has a tragic life, being condemned by her husband, so that she had to use birds to send a message for help to her brother, Bendigeidfran ("blessed crow"). So many people died in the war that followed that she kills herself in despair. Qrow's had a tragic life because of his misfortune Semblance, and Raven's estranged from her loved ones for mysterious reasons.
The Crown
- Umber Gorgoneion is based on Medusa. Her hair is in dreadlocks (resembling snakes) and her Semblance is a Deadly Gaze that paralyses her victims. She is forced to wear mirrored glasses to protect others, as her powers are always active.
- Carmine Esclados and her partner Bertilak Celadon respectively allude to the Red Knight and Green Knight of Arthurian Legend. Esclados was the name of the Red Knight in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, and the Green Knight was an alias of Lord Bertilak in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Additionally, Bertilak is said to be the size of Yatsuhashi, akin to how the Green Knight towered over Sir Gawain, and both Bertilak and the Green Knight employ Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon note .
Miscellaneous Characters
- Neptune Vasilias is based on the Roman god of the sea, Neptune. His weapon can transform into a trident, reminiscent of the god, and his Semblance gives him power over water. However, due to his inability to control the power, he is terrified of water and won't use his abilities. He has an older brother called Jupiter, who is named after the Roman god.
- Neo named after the Roman Triple Goddess, Diana note , whose earliest name was Trivia, the Goddess of crossroads and magic.
- Clover Ebi's last name derives from Ebisu, the Japanese god of luck and fishermen. He is a counterpart to Qrow, whose own surname is based on a divine figure who is associated with luck and corvids (the Welsh goddess of love, Brânwen).
- Ambrosius is based on the famous mythical wizard Merlin. Merlinus Ambrosius was a composite figure created from the Welsh and Brythonic myths of the prophetic, Exact Words-using Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the Wild), and the semi-historical warrior Ambrosius Aurelianus. Ambrosius is a creative, tricky spirit who loopholes people's requests via Exact Words.
Volumes
Volume 3
Volume 3
Chapter 12
- At the end of their fight, Cinder defeats Pyrrha by shooting her through the ankle. Pyrrha is based on Achilles, who was killed by an arrow to his ankle.
Volume 5
Volume 5
Chapter 4
- When explaining how Semblances work to Oscar, Nora reveals that she discovered her Semblance when she survived being accidentally struck by lightning on a "crazy Thursday". This is a nod to her character inspiration, the Norse thunder god Thor, from whose name comes the word "Thursday".
