Thread by @SAlle1304

#RWBY #RWBY9 #RWBY9Spoilers

Let's talk about Yang being the personification of Strength, and how each and every volume we've seen this become truer and truer,

How it made her the heart of team RWBY.

And, in a way, how this Volume this is more important than ever.

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From my (extremely biased but at least her me out) perspective, Yang is the heart of team RWBY.

The easiest way to break the team, is to take her away from them.

Volume 8 did a great job of showing this through everything going wrong the moment Yang fell.

The only person->

able to keep a clear mind at that moment was Weiss, and even she wasn't enough to ground Ruby and Blake in time.

You could argue that regardless of who fell, the result would have been the same, but I want to disagree a bit with that.

Of course the emotional distraught here->

comes from the fact that they all thought Yang was dead, but this isn't exactly the first time we got a scenario where one of them seemed to be gone.

During the Battle of Haven they all thought that Weiss was practically dead when she got impaled by Cinder too, but as hurt as->

she was, Yang still managed to keep on fighting with a clear head, and part of me believes that Ruby would have been too if she were awake.

That isn't to say that they don't care about Weiss, that's not my point.

My point is that Yang, specifically, is the emotional pillar of->

the team.

And this is something that's actually been hinted at ever since the Yellow trailer.

The Yellow trailer is a little bit special compared to the other 3.

Each trailer has their own specific song playing in the background.

The Red trailer has Red Like Roses Part 1,->

the White trailer has Mirror Mirror Part 1, and the Black trailer has From Shadows.

And while the Yellow trailer does have I Burn, it actually starts with a remix of the other 3 songs.

That remix of the 3 songs from the other trailers was a really good way to imply the fact->

that Ruby, Weiss, and Blake's characters arcs will, in some way, be intertwined with Yang's specifically.

And they did.

For Ruby and Yang it's obvious, they're sisters. Yang's entire character arc for the longest time was, and arguably still is, tied to Ruby's.

Everything->

she ever did was for her, including giving up her own character goal just to get to her and make sure she's safe.

As for Ruby, one of the reasons why she wanted to become a Huntress in the first place is because of the stories Yang told her as a child.

Their character arcs->

have been heavily influencing each other since the very beginning.

Now with Weiss and Yang it's a little bit more subtle. The way their character arcs intertwine is through loneliness.

Of course, they aren't the only characters who are lonely, but it's about what these two->

have in common that the others don't.

A big family on the surface, full of broken pieces.

Abusive parents that took away from any ounce of a proper childhood they could have had.

But ultimately it's those experiences which led to them being there for each other when it->

mattered.

And Blake and Yang's character arcs being intertwined was always there, since their initial concept designs.

Yang's leg bandana was always tied to Blake's design, changing together with it. When Blake used to have heterochromia, with one blue eye, Yang's bandana was->

also blue. It later changed to purple to match Blake's aura color.

Adam was always supposed to be Yang's foil, and to make Yang and Blake's character arcs be intertwined.

There isn't much of a reason for me to go more in-depth here because it's obvious how much Blake and->

Yang's character arcs have influenced each other.

But what's my point with all of this?

I don't think there is a lot of debate to be had when I'm saying that out of the 4 girls, Yang is the one who has strong bonds with all three of them.

Which is what ultimately makes her->

be the heart of the team.

Now how does that tie into her being the embodiment of Strength? Easy.

Being the embodiment of Strength takes so much more than being powerful.

It takes having kindness no matter how much the world hurt you. It takes forgiveness towards others no->

matter how much they've wronged you. It takes bravery when you're scared more than you've ever been. And, above all, it takes love.

What I did just now is shortly describe Yang's entire character and everything she holds in her heart.

So let's go through all of them.

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I said this in a previous post too, but I really don't think there is any debate to be had when I'm saying that Yang is one of the kindest and most selfless characters out there.

She gives and gives, with never expecting anything in return. Most of the times she doesn't->

even take herself and her own feelings into consideration. They don't matter to her as long as the people she cares for are alright.

Back at Haven, it didn't matter for her that she had a breakdown in the vault when she felt the weight of everything fall upon her as she took->

the relic. It didn't matter that her own mother just abandoned her again. All that mattered for her is getting back to her team, triumphantly, giving them all hope to keep going.

Back when the news of the horrible fate that must have befallen Summer hit her where it hurt the->

most, it didn't matter to her that she just had a heartbroken breakdown of her own, all that mattered was the fact that Ruby wasn't feeling well and she had to comfort her.

Time and time again the world takes away from her, hurts her constantly, and every time she just->

responds with kindness and comfort in return.

And it's heartbreaking in a way, because her selflessness isn't always a good thing. She goes so far and beyond to put others before herself that it actively harms her.

She didn't care that she lost her arm, because Blake was->

safe.

She didn't care that she "died" (I want to emphasize the fact that she thought she died protecting Ruby and she was okay with that) because it meant that Ruby was still alive.

Her first instinct when she saw everyone in the Ever After wasn't even relief, it was->

frustration at the fact that this meant she didn't manage to protect Ruby.

And, unfortunately, that kindness is given to people that don't deserve it as well.

You guys already know my opinion on Raven, so I won't get into a ramble here, but I don't think I'm wrong in saying->

that Raven did not deserve Yang lying to protect her.

She berated Yang. She gave her an apology worth nothing, just to abandon her again.

And what does Yang do in return? She lies to Qrow, to everyone, just so Raven can escape and live her life "free" of Salem

But ultimately->

that's what makes her be the perfect embodiment for Strength.

And, while some people don't deserve forgiveness, some do. And that forgiveness comes so easy for Yang, no matter how hurt she was by said person.

Yes, I'm talking about her forgiving Blake.

I know there are some->

people who wanted Yang to be angry at Blake, for her to take a long time until she forgave her, but, after everything, that just wouldn't be in character for her.

She doesn't hold grudges, she always latches onto the positive of a situation and holds it near her heart.

The->

fact of the matter was that Blake came back. After being abandoned again and again by the people she loved, for the first time in her life someone came back.

That can mean so much for someone who is used to people leaving with no explanation.

Yang was never angry with Blake,->

she was just sad that she left. But she was there now. Forgiveness came natural to her.

And, to use Ghira's words, that's ultimately what fuels her being the embodiment of Strength even further.

And there is even more to it than that.

Let's talk about Yang's bravery.

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One of my favorite parts of Volume 5 is when Yang calls Raven out on her definition of Strength.

Because, like I mentioned above in the thread, there is so much more to being strong than having power.

But that's all Raven has.

While Yang has that, and so much more.

->

She stands bravely, calling out her mother on all the excuses she gave herself for running away and turning her back on the people who needed her most, all while shaking because she's terrified.

She is terrified of a situation that is so out of what she signed up for.

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But it doesn't matter. Her fear doesn't matter because she has people counting on her. So she pushes past it, and stands bravely.

She declares the one thing she already proved through actions more than once, and which she will continue to prove.

That no matter how afraid->

she is, she will always stand fighting.

And that when the time comes for her to face Salem, she would without any hesitation.

Which...she did. Words won't be enough for me to explain how much I love V8C9, and how beautifully it ties with this talk Yang and Raven had.

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I want you guys to realize that when Yang told Raven she would face Salem, she didn't even know Salem is immortal yet

It would have been more than understandable for her to back away after finding that out because how do you fight someone that can't be killed?

But she didn't.->

Instead she launched ahead, not even hesitating in attacking her because she had people counting on her.

If she didn't fight, Jaune, Ren, Oscar and even Emerald would have been in danger, and that wasn't something she could allow.

She could have easily died here, she's just->

one person while Salem is an immortal goddess, there really isn't even a competition. But that didn't matter for her.

She said she would face her, and she did, no matter how scared she was.

And then when Salem was dangerously focused on Oscar, Yang's instinct was to take that->

attention off of him, and onto her.

Because that's what she does, isn't it? No matter how terrified she is, she still thinks of the people she cares about first and foremost.

Bravery is like second nature to her, something that Blake herself said as well. Because of course->

the person who gave Yang the title of the embodiment of Strength would see that bravery in her.

And of course she would see how that makes her fit that title even more.

In a way...that's one of the things that made Blake fall in love with her in the first place.

Well, that->

along with the love that Yang so openly always shows.

Worthy said it best:

"With every smile you told me 'I love you'"

Because Yang always wears her heart on her sleeve. She always showers the people she cares about in that love she holds in her heart.

And to see someone->

who was genuinely hurt so much in the past love so openly is genuinely beautiful.

(*cough* her emblem is literally a heart *cough*)

Yang's love is gentle, sometimes even subtle. She shows it through actions more often than words because those are the ones that matter.

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She showed it to Ruby her whole life through raising her. Through comforting touches and grounding hugs.

Ruby is pretty much Yang's entire world, she would give up anything for her as long as it meant she's safe, and you can see that Yang's actions always let Ruby know that.

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She showed it to Weiss through always being that comforting warmth which always cracked a joke when a situation was heavy.

And you can tell Weiss, after spending her whole life in a cold solitude among the stuck-up people of Atlas, appreciates that part of Yang so much.

->

And, of course, she showed it to Blake through all the comforting reassurances and gentle touches where she expected only anger and hurt from past experiences.

Which is why it was so easy for Blake to fall in love with Yang.

She's a beautiful soul, one who exudes kindness->

love and forgiveness, one who is braver than most would ever be.

And all of that is what makes Yang be the embodiment of Strength.

So, why do I think this is more important than ever now, in Volume 9?

(Bare with me here for a bit more, I know how long this has gotten xD)

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Well, like I said in the beginning too, she is the heart of the team. And right now, only her and Blake are in a clear enough headspace to guide everyone home.

Which, she constantly did these past few episodes.

She always kept an eye on the Curious Cat and was the one to->

point out when they disappeared.

She always stayed focused on the goal they had at hand even when the others were too distracted by other things.

Because right now, more than any other times, she needs to keep everyone grounded so they can get home.

No matter how desperate->

the situation is, they have to stay focused on what's in front of them.

She's the one to immediately tell Jaune and Weiss to "Stay focused!" in the fight against Neo's Jabberwalkers as well.

Ruby's broken down, and Weiss just saw her home crumble to the ground not even a day->

ago. Now, more than anything, Yang knows she has to be in top shape to guide them.

But it's not always easy. It doesn't all go smoothly.

Now, when she tried to offer Ruby that same comfort and reassurance she either got shut down by her, or the world kept interrupting them.

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But the one thing she could still do is help her indirectly, through her usual selflessness.

Way too many people don't understand the reason behind Yang stepping in front of Blake when Ruby started lashing out, and for whatever reason they just assume Yang genuinely thought->

Ruby would attack her, which is just stupid.

These are Yang and Ruby we're talking about. They're sisters. More than that, Yang is practically a maternal figure for Ruby as well. What Yang did, was enter in parental mode.

Her, more than literally anyone else, knows that you->

don't always say what you mean when you're angry.

So she stepped in front of Blake both for her sake and for Ruby's as well.

She was trying to redirect Ruby's anger towards herself because, like I said, they are sisters.

Ruby could tell her the most horrible things, Yang->

would still always forgive her. Their bond is unbreakable.

But you can't say the same about the bond Ruby has with Weiss and Blake.

I don't think those two would ever hate Ruby for whatever she would say, but maybe some wounds could leave scars that never heal.

At that->

moment, Yang knew there was a chance that Ruby might say something which could deeply hurt Blake, and Ruby would have hated herself for it once she was in a clear headspace.

So it was natural for Yang to step between them, to give Ruby that stern "You don't want to do this"->

look and redirect that anger onto herself.

As for the future...who knows. But I'll say this.

I'm sure we'll see Yang continue being that embodiment of Strength and ground Ruby. Comfort her like she always did and help her realize that there is a lot of good she accomplished,->

and that she doesn't have to shoulder everything alone because her, Weiss and Blake will always have her back.

With that, thank you to everyone who read this incredibly long thread until the end🙏

I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.
->

It's been a treat to see Yang finally be happy and in a clear headspace this volume. She shines more than she ever did, and she exudes how much she is the embodiment of Strength more than ever.

All in all, I'm looking forward to what these last 3 episodes have in store for us🙏

(preferably healing please🥹)