Multiple stages of RWBY development (retcons overview)

So from what I’ve figured out, based on all of the retcons which have occurred, Shane’s letter, and numerous pieces of behind the scenes information, there have been roughly 4 different “versions” of RWBY over the years. Think of them as stages in the development of the show. Nearly all of the retcons in the show are a result of behind-the-scenes changes between each season. This is similar to the different stages of development that Evangelion went through, or to what happened to Dark Souls 2, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls 3 in development.

This would be best on a spreadsheet of some kind, but I’m writing it down here first. Sources on everything will be in parentheses. There are a few exceptions which I will mention as they show up.

The 4 categories are as such:

Monty’s original plan — The plan Monty developed from the start. Present in V1-2. Modified by M&K in V3 and completely discarded in V4.

V3 modified Monty plan — The modified version of Monty’s plan which was used in V3. Primary change was the existence of the Maidens.

V4-5 M&K plan — The plan M&K used in V4 and V5 after discarding Monty’s plan. Note there were also some changes between V4 and V5 which I will make mention of.

V6 modified M&K plan — The modified version of M&K’s plan used in V6. Mostly pertains to the retcons which occurred in V6E3.

Now on to each category.

AURA

Monty’s original plan: Passive (V1E6, WoR Aura). Needs to be activated once, either by self or by someone else, but after that passively protects user from harm (V1E6). Can be used for martial arts ki magic stuff like in wuxia films (V1E6, V2E12).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Defensive aura must consciously be activated every time the user fights (V5E4). Martial arts ki magic doesn’t appear to be a thing anymore (it just hasn’t been seen since V2)

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

GRIMM

Monty’s original plan: Origin unknown, or at least not yet revealed to audience (V1E1). ONLY attack humans and their creations, nothing else (V1E1, WoR Grimm).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Created by evil god. Predate humans. Were created to destroy “anything and everything”, do not only target humans and their creations. (V4E8)

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

OZ

Monty’s original plan: Either immortal or long-lived by some mechanism, but unknown how long he has been alive, only that he predates the Great War (Monty’s “color name guidelines” sheet) Type of immortality or long life unknown, but became immortal/long-lived by “training and focusing” his Aura (WoR Aura).

V3 modified Monty plan: Previously implied immortality confirmed (V3E5 “professor you’re not that old”). Has been alive for unspecified “thousands of years”. Has “magic” in addition to immortality, which he gave up to the Maidens (V3E5, WoR Maidens).

V4-5 M&K plan: “Cursed” to become immortal by gods because he “failed to stop Salem” from doing something (V5E3). Also gave “magic” to Qrow and Raven (V5E7). Form of immortality involves possessing a new human host when he dies and slowly assimilating their soul and mind into his until they become one, previous host identifies as both the Oz oversoul and as the previous host, since he is a fusion of the two (V4E7).

V6 modified M&K plan: Brought back to life by evil god. Resurrected and given immortality by good god, ordered to unite humans so that the gods can come back and rule over it again, nothing to do with “failing to stop Salem” from doing something. Seems to be unaffected by host, instead simply sitting in the back of their mind telling them to do stuff (V6E3).

MAIDENS

Monty’s original plan: Do not exist (V3 director’s commentary, RTX London 2017). Cinder’s powers are simply a form of Dust magic, and she weaves Dust into her clothing (V2E5, V2E8).

V3 modified Monty plan: Oz gave up his “magic” to four young women several thousand years ago. Cinder’s powers are incomplete Maiden powers (V3E5, WoR Maidens). This is the only retcon Monty is known to be directly responsible for (V3 director’s commentary, RTX London 2017).

V4-5 M&K plan: No changes from previous.

V6 modified M&K plan: The Maidens are the biological children of Ozpin and Salem. Their powers transferred to the next hosts when they were killed in the crossfire between the two (V6E3).

GODS

Alright, so this one is a bit weird. There were actually 3 phases of development for these, so I’m adding a new category for this section — “V5 M&K plan” — and separating V4 from it.

Monty’s original plan: Do not exist. Monty was open to the idea of religion in Remnant, but had no plans for gods or religions (V2 Q&A livestream).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4 M&K plan: Remnant and everything in it created by good and evil god. Grimm created by evil god. Humans created as the FINAL action of both gods, along with leaving macguffins, before abandoning Remnant (V4E8).

V5 M&K plan: Gods did not abandon Remnant after creating humans. Salem did something which they didn’t like, so Ozpin was “cursed” to “stop her” (V5E3).

V6 modified M&K plan: Gods never abandoned Remnant initially, instead sticking around to rule over humans. Gave Ozpin immortality in order to try and unite humans so they can come back and rule over them. Ozpin’s immortality has nothing to do with “failing to stop Salem” (V6E3).

“MAGIC”

Monty’s original plan: Aura/Semblance and Dust are both magic systems, but no other “magic” exists.

V3 modified Monty plan: The Maidens and formerly Oz have access to “magic” which is different from Dust and Aura/Semblance (V3E5, Maidens confirmed to be only created for V3 in the V3 director’s commentary and at RTX London 2017).

V4-5 M&K plan: Ozpin’s “magic” is part of the same package as him having been “cursed” to be immortal (V5E7). Inexplicably, basic shit like animal transformations are unthinkable, impossible “magic” in a world where Semblances include affecting fate itself, transforming into rose petals, and controlling time (V5E6).

V6 modified M&K plan: Everyone had access to “magic” before humans were wiped out. Ozpin’s “magic” is simply a natural byproduct of him having been a pre-extinction human, not something he was gifted as part of being “cursed” to be immortal (V6E3).

MISTRAL

Monty’s original plan: No indication of it being Asian. Pyrrha is Greek-themed but from Mistral.

V3 modified Monty plan: A scene of a bar in Mistral is shown. It has no Asian cultural influence and has advanced technology similar to Vale and Atlas (V3E1). People dress in modern Western clothing, including a “mistral tourist” shown later (V3E6).

V4-5 M&K plan: For the most part, Mistral has a medieval tech level. It is culturally Asian in every respect, with medieval Asian architecture (all of V4, V5, and V6).

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

SALEM

Monty’s original plan: Existed in some form, but doesn’t actually appear until V3 outside of being a narrator (V1E1, WoR for V2), so I’ll give the details in that section.

V3 modified Monty plan: Either immortal or long-lived. Motivated by hatred of Ozpin. Entirely dedicated to overthrowing him, nothing else (V3E12). Motivation for hating Ozpin is the same as Cinder — rules the world from secret and uses human shields to maintain control (Divide). Plan to defeat Ozpin involves dividing people so that his world order crumbles (V3E12).

V4-5 M&K plan: Plan to defeat Ozpin has nothing to do with dividing people. Salem is instead simply needs to collect all 4 macguffins to “change the world” (V4E8). Did something in the distant past that caused Ozpin to be “cursed” by gods because he “failed to stop her” (V5E3).

V6 modified M&K plan: Hoooooly shit, what a mess. Multiple contradictory motivations all in one episode. Maybe wants to kill off gods forever. Maybe just wants to die by having gods blow up Remnant along with her. Maybe wants to bring gods back to “upgrade” or “replace” humans. Has no actual grudge with Ozpin, just with gods, then immortality, then with human nature of nowhere. Tried to take over the world herself, so doesn’t really care about his shadow government. Ozpin’s immortality was not because he “failed to stop her” (all in V6E3).

MACGUFFINS

Monty’s original plan: Did not exist. V3 makes it clear why so I’ll explain there.

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous, but made clear that they did not exist (actions of Cinder in V3, actions of Oz in V3, and statements from Salem about how exactly she is going to overthrow Oz in V3E12 all show they were not planned).

V4-5 M&K plan: 4 macguffins created by gods and given to humans as “gifts” before they abandoned Remnant. Salem’s plan is to collect all 4 so she can “change the world” (V4E8).

V6 modified M&K plan: Were given to Oz as part of mission from gods to unite humans so that gods can come back and rule them again. Primary ability is bringing gods back for “judgement”, not “changing the world” (V6E3).

REMNANT’S WILDERNESS

Monty’s original plan: Dangerous, infested with Grimm. Villages rarely survive.  4 kingdoms are the only bastions of civilization.

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Numerous prosperous, safe towns and villages, which civilians can casually visit (V4E2, V4E4). Jaune’s family went fucking camping in the wilderness casually (V4E2). Towns connected by well-maintained path similar to a city park (all of V4).

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

RUBY

Monty’s original plan: Left-handed (look at any scene where she writes). Semblance described as “speed” (V1E14).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Right-handed (V4E12). Semblance described as “bursting into rose petals” (V4E8) and depicted as being capable of making her move slowly like a drifting breeze of petals and split into multiple clumps of petals (V4 Ruby prologue)

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

WEISS

Monty’s original plan: Semblance is explicitly confirmed to not be hereditary, instead developed naturally in her childhood (V2 Q&A livestream). Summoning does not appear to be part of her Semblance as it is not mentioned whatsoever as something she has trouble with.

V3 modified Monty plan: Semblance is hereditary, and includes summoning as an aspect of it (V3E4).

V4-5 M&K plan: No changes from previous.

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

BLAKE

Monty’s original plan: Born into White Fang. Parents unknown, but appears to have had a hard life and grown up on the street (V1E16). Family name is not anything people would recognize.

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Parents were the founders of the White Fang and currently the government of 1/5 of the very few nations in Remnant, had a comfortable childhood with them (V4E3). Family name is famous and should have been recognized.

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

YANG

Monty’s original plan: Grew up with Summer, viewing her as her “real mom” and calling her a “supermom” (V2E6). Was supposed to fight Adam in V3 (Shane’s letter).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Doesn’t care about Summer, referring to her as “Ruby’s mom” and not someone she really had a connection with (V5E8). Addresses Raven like her “real mom” (V5E3, V5E6, V5E14) and like someone she knew (V5E8).

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

JAUNE

Monty’s original plan: Semblance unknown, but has some function of preventing, reflecting, or redirecting damage (V1E14). Was supposed to be accidentally responsible for Pyrrha’s death in V3 (Shane’s letter).

V3 modified Monty plan: Was not responsible for Pyrrha’s death in V3 (Shane’s letter).

V4-5 M&K plan: Semblance is enhancing/amplifying Aura and has nothing to do with redirecting, reflecting, or preventing damage (V5E12). This is a fucking useless ability, as we see Hazel is capable of amplifying/enhancing his own Aura in the very next episode (V5E13).

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

REN

Monty’s original plan: Given name Ren, family name Lie (V1, confirmed repeatedly by various V1 director’s commentaries and Q&As). Him and Nora grew up alone and only had each other as family (Boop).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Given name Lie, family name Ren. Had early childhood with family, but lost them to a Grimm and then became like family with Nora (V4E10). NOTE: Him and Nora enter into a romantic relationship at the end of V4, but V5 basically ignores this. It’s more likely just shitty writing though, not so much an intentional retcon.

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

RAVEN

Monty’s original plan: Unknown beyond being Yang’s mother. Steps in to save her from Neo (V2E11). Was supposed to attack JNPR in V3 (Shane’s letter). NOTE: The scene at the end of V2 was a dream sequence and was always intended to be.

V3 modified Monty plan: Is the Spring Maiden (this was made up during V3 according to the Rewind for V5E11). Has “a dangerous way of looking at the world” (V3E8). All of her character traits from here on out appear to have been created at this stage. Does not attack JNPR in V3 (Shane’s letter).

V4-5 M&K plan: No changes from previous. However, the way Taiyang describes her in V4E9 doesn’t really match how she’s depicted in V5. I’m don’t think this was a retcon though, since Raven’s character was finalized back during V3 (V5E11 Rewind).

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

WHITE FANG

Monty’s original plan: Current organization has 3 leaders, all male, Adam is one of them (V1E16). Blake does not appear to be related to any past or present leaders (nobody recognizes her name).

V3 modified Monty plan: No changes from previous.

V4-5 M&K plan: Current organization has two leaders, Adam and Sienna Khan, one male, one female (V4E1, V5E2). Blake’s father Ghira was one of them (V4E5). Sienna Khan does not possess Aura and doesn’t appear to be capable of fighting, as she relies on her guards to protect her instead of attacking Adam when he threatens her with his sword (V5E2).

V6 modified M&K plan: Sienna Khan has Aura and is a skilled fighter (Adam prologue).

ADAM

Again, weird case here. Adam in V3E7 was consistent with Monty’s original plan, but seems to have been changed later in V3. I’ll change the labels to match.

Monty’s original plan and V3E7: Motivated by wanting justice for his people from humans, just has extreme methods. Seems to be fairly level-headed outside of his abuse towards Blake (all of V1-2 but specifically V1E16, V3E7).

V3E11: Psychotic yandere wreck. Completely mentally unstable. Motivated by desire for revenge against and hatred of humans, not justice (V3E11).

V4-5 M&K plan: No changes from previous.

V6 modified M&K plan: No changes from previous.

ROMAN, CORSAC, AND FENNEC

This one doesn’t actually need any categories, it’s the weirdest one yet. According to the V1 and V4 director’s commentaries, Roman was not supposed to be the main antagonist of V1 initially, and was only going to appear in V1E1. The original plan was for Corsac and Fennec Albain, who were later re-used by M&K as antagonists in V4-5, to be the main antagonists of the season, specifically in the Emerald Forest. Monty liked Roman so much that he decided to remove the Albain brothers and put Roman in their place. However, this change occurred during the writing of V1, before the season was finished, so it’s not really in line with the other changes. I just thought I’d mention it.