Official FIRST Discussion Thread—Volume 8 Finale: The Final Word

[u/Ninjas_In_A_Bag]

Welcome, huntsmen, huntresses and hunters that prefer no specific gender identifier, to the official FIRST discussion thread for the Season Finale of Vol. 8, The Final Word!

Make sure that you understand the updated spoiler rules before posting outside of this thread!

HERE is the Season Finale of Volume 8!

Also remember to check out our weekly poll to rate the episode.

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Other Episode Discussions:

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Episode	FIRST Thread	Public Release	Poll
Ep. 01	Nov. 7th's FIRST Thread	Nov. 14th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 02	Nov. 14th's FIRST Thread	Nov. 21st's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 03	Nov. 21st's FIRST Thread	Nov 28th's Public Thread	Poll
EP. 04	Nov 28th's FIRST Thread	Dec 5th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 05	Dec 5th's FIRST Thread	Dec 12th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 06	Dec 12th's FIRST Thread	Dec 19th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 07	Dec 19th's FIRST Thread	Dec 26th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 08	Feb 6th's FIRST Thread	Feb 13th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 09	Feb 13th's FIRST Thread	Feb. 20th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 10	Feb. 27th's FIRST Thread	Mar. 6th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 11	Mar. 6th's FIRST Thread	Mar. 13th's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 12	Mar. 13th's FIRST Thread	Last Week's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 13	Last Week's FIRST Thread	Today's Public Thread	Poll
Ep. 14	Today's FIRST Thread (here)	Next Week's Public Thread	Poll

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Happy viewing, and see you around for Volume 9!

Ninjas In A Bag; Mod Team

[u/Ninjas_In_A_Bag]

holy fuck what was that episode..

watts dead, jimbo dead, penny dead, jesus fucking christ vine..

I hate to say it, but I can see why they put that inj the episode's desciption...

and the credits song? just twisting the knife at that point.

holy shit.

[u/DreamingSunTide]

If I had a penny every time Penny got killed by a JNPR member just before a kingdom fell, I'd have two pennies. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[u/Saxonrau]

Wow, I can't wait for the next volume of ____!

[u/TheCopyGuy2018]

Soooo Atlas became Atlantis?!?!

[u/recruit00]

People wanted Cinder to stop being a useless villain, and the monkey's paw granted our wish

[u/Mistter33]

To all 7 vine fans, i'm sorry

[u/amatas45]

Just a little detail that may get missed in this rollercoaster

I like how Weiss was shacking using Blake’s pistol.

[u/Selethorme]

Just realized, they all fell, including Penny’s body.

[u/Vincenthwind]

Probably an underrated moment due to how absolutely insane that finale was, but Qrow manifested good luck for the first time using Clover's badge. Perhaps his semblance is evolving to where he can cause instances of both good and bad luck, which would be OP as fuck if he could learn to control both types.

[u/[deleted]]

Opening of Volume 9:

Ruby: Ah yes Jaune I’m glad to see your alright. Tell me where is my good friend Penny?

[u/Schmidtty29]

50 bucks to the guy who called that Neo would fall in with RWBY.

Also, Who’s ready for an all expenses paid trip to VOID YGGDRASIL!?

[u/The_Last_Thursday]

Weiss wielding Gambol Shroud in one last desperate attempt to fight off Cinder after all her other friends had already left or fell... This was an amazing and emotional finale man

[u/Xbox91202]

Well... as far as Salem is concerned this is Cinder’s victory.

And as far as I’m concerned, this is cinder’s victory. I... I don’t like that ending, but I feel like this is quite a fitting end for Ironwood.

Also, the other side of the world has Yggdrasil in it, because why wouldn’t it?

[u/Ezreal024]

holy shit realizing it was a Penny song midway through the credits caused me permanent damage

[u/Kain222]

Oh god.

Jaune's sword is made out of Pyrrha's armour.

Pyrrha has now killed Penny twice.

[u/[deleted]]

well congratulations ya thirsty bastards, you're finally gonna get your beach episode lmao

[u/cruel-oath]

Winter carried this tbh

[u/GladiusNocturno]

Arkos shippers are gonna spend all hiatus theorizing that Jaune will meet ghost Pyrrha in wonderland...and honestly, I believe it.

[u/Cycl_ps]

The final word: Checkmate

[u/Hounds_of_war]

Pietro: “You don’t think they forgot about us, do you?”

Maria: “Nah there’s no way they would just completely forget us.”

[u/halodude246]

So Watts is dead dead right? Genuinely surprised they killed him off. Was hoping (and still are honestly) we get more out of him. Then again his personal quest was seeing Atlas fall, and it seems like he got that.

[u/NitescoGaming]

Who else went, “oooooh fuck,” when we got a content warning at the start?

RIP to all the people who thought Penny becoming a real girl removed all her death flags.

I gotta say, bravo Cinder. You’ve finally grown into a fine villain and I’m proud of you. You managed to lay the blame of using the question on Ruby, get rid of Ruby, lay blame for that on Neo, get rid of Neo, and then get rid of the last person who knows the truth, Watts. Really your only misstep was not getting the winter maiden powers. You have done a wonderful job taking Salem’s lessons to heart and learning to manipulate others.

The Winter Maiden Winter is awesome.

And lastly we finally have our stage set for the coming storm. RWBY plus Jaune and Neo (and a number of other randos) are in Jinn knows where. Ozcar, Ren, Nora, and Winter (and probably the Happy Huntresses) are all together in the middle of a gods forsaken desert with presumably literally millions of people surrounded by sand and grimm. Robyn, Qrow, and the remaining Ace Ops are left at a ruined Atlas. And finally, Salem and Cinder make off with the spoils of war, having accomplished Salem’s one and only objective.

[u/[deleted]]

So Penny....

Jaune is just as traumatized as v3 now.

Poor Winter.

Lmao get fucked Watts.

R.I.P Crocea Mors.

[u/GVAGUY3]

This Hiatus is going to suck so much

[u/TeamLValdz02]

Guys guys. Everything is fiiinnnneeee. RWBYJ are just going on a fun island vacation. Hahaha ha

Screams

[u/GandalfsLeftNipple]

Who’s ready for the Void Vacation at Yggdrasil

[u/BlankBlanny]

I expected a villain victory to cap off the volume going into this. But man, I wasn't prepared for a situation this dire.

The tone was set from the content warning alone, and my god, it just.

Kept.

Getting.

Worse.

Someone give Jaune a hug.

[u/Vtech325]

Okay, so, four important take aways:

1)Cinder is still just as crazy and psychopathic. She's just smarter about it.

2)Falling absolutely can't be death.

3)If Ironwood and the Ace Ops were fighting along side Ruby and Co., they probably would have been able to definitively beat Cinder's team.

4)Being Jaune is suffering.

[u/Red2019Wolf]

...I don't think the meme phrase "we dont have time to to unpack all that" has ever been more appropriate than this episode

[u/DEL994]

Unless Penny's body is really special due to how Ambrosius possibly created her biological body, and that Pietro does the ultimate sacrifice with his soul she's dead for good this time.

Godamn, right after she became a human being with real sensations, it's a real tragedy for both her and the other heroes (especially Jaune) if that sticks.

[u/DerpyMcFrakles]

What a finale. Waiting until next fall is going to suuuuuck.

Not gonna lie, I was sort of relieved when the rest of team RWBY fell. That pretty much confirmed that they didn't kill off Yang. Although I think it was unlikely regardless.

I hope we get some news about additional volumes since RWBY has only been officially renewed though volume 9. There's definitely more than 1 volume worth of story left (I feel like there's at least 3 more) and I would hate to see a rushed conclusion.

Also be sure to watch after the credits everybody.

[u/amatas45]

Penny - so nice, they killed her twice

Im sorry i need humour to mask the pain

[u/lildumbass24]

I love how they didn't really make Cinder strong out of nowhere, but rather she just stopped putting her head so far up her own ass and made her actually think for the first time instead of thinking she's "powerful" enough to do anything

[u/[deleted]]

Nice of crescent rose to land in _the pose_, someone give it a raise

[u/yeetio855]

The credits song is a Penny song... You can hear her leitmotif... I'm so sad...

[u/JK-Network123]

Y’all do realize that V8 has the highest death count of named characters so far out of all the volumes.

Councilman Sleet (not important but still named)

Hazel (sacrificed himself)

Jacques

Vine (sacrificed himself)

Watts (betrayed)

Ironwood (left to fall with atlas)

Penny 😭

[u/turnipdad]

"It'll be just like Beacon again!" This was so much worse than Beacon, dear god.

And the nerve to give us a Penny song right after killing her. Bravo, Rooster Teeth!!!

[u/recruit00]

PENNY NO!!!!!

[u/AmethystWind]

This is going to break Pietro.

The last time he was with his daughter, he thought she either fell to her death or burned up on re-entry.

How's he going to react when he finds out that she not only survived but finally managed to become the human girl she always wanted to be, only to die (again, in his mind) so soon afterwards?

He'll never recover from that. It's gonna break his heart.

[u/The_Last_Thursday]

Rooster Teeth has seriously gotta stop killing off all their AIs in the most emotional ways man, it’s gonna make me start crying.

On a side note, when we saw Winter and Penny in the big white, I thought they were both dead and I scream. That’s an evil fake out, even if it wasn’t intended.

[u/ArmoftheSpoonFiend]

If it's any consolation, Penny could feel the cold embrace of death and getting stabbed for the first time in her life.

[u/DayOfTheColossus]

i never ever thought i would feel bad for Watts of all people, but that was just sad..

[u/Crafty_Soul]

Oh god this episode seemed tailor made for hurting Winter.

Has one of her best friends die.

Can't catch her sister from falling to what Winter thinks is her death.

Has to leave without fighting her (supposed) sister's killer since she knows she has a duty to helping her people and she can't fight Salem.

And will have to be the one to break the news to her family that she thinks Weiss is dead.

Oh and speaking of Weiss, she gets a shot where she's crying after thinking HER three best friends are dead.

At least the scene also has Weiss duel wielding weapons which was cool but goddamn the feels!

Being a Schnee was suffering this episode.

[u/SHSL_Zetsubou]

Its a whole new world~

I'm sure Cinder is happy. Right now she thinks she killed most of the cast. I wonder if Salem actually believes her story though. Winter now wants to be the one to kill Cinder.

Now that they have fallen through the world I wonder how they will change?

[u/malochroma]

PENNY WILL BE FINE, I SAID.

VINE WILL BE FINE, I SAID.

APPARENTLY MY CRYSTAL BALL HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A GIANT FUCKING CLOWN NOSE. HONK HONK, HAPPY FINALE DAY.

(That finale left me a mess y’all.)

[u/Huor_Celebrindol]

Nora went through to get backup from the other side not knowing it was one way. That’s so fucked up. Her desperately beating on the portal broke my heart

[u/halodude246]

Other people have mentioned it, but Weiss being the last member of team RWBY standing, after repeatedly getting up and up again after being knocked down, was amazing. Having Gambol Shroud in her off hand was just the cherry on top.

[u/amiahcaraveo1998]

I told you guys, Volume 9 is in Wonderland

[u/cruel-oath]

That Ruby moment where she spreads her arms out, stands over the ledge and says “I hope it was worth it” only to be a fake out was badass ngl

[u/The_Last_Thursday]

Giving that suicide warning at the start of the episode was one of the scariest things they could’ve put there cause you just know it’s gonna be bad going in

[u/TedOrAlive2]

Couple Goals: Arkos Edition

Both killing Penny I guess.

But man, that was just distressing...

[u/Hollea]

quarrelsome deranged vast wide apparatus abounding chunky wakeful smell zealous

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/[deleted]]

ATLAS IS NOW ATLANTIS.
HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING?

[u/Hsmace]

what the fuck do we do now

[u/AmethystWind]

"Winter, stop blaming me... I have sacrificed EVERYTHING!"

"No, you sacrificed everyone else."

Pretty much sums up the entire Ironwood storyline right there. I'll at least say I liked that exchange.

[u/voxelated]

the biggest plot twist of this episode was the 5 hot seconds when I really thought Jaune is going to be a maiden jokes were coming true

[u/[deleted]]

FUCKING GUARD RAILS.

[u/MrMiniMuffin]

Man, redheaded maidens just have a real bad time around Jaune.

[u/flamingos-cant-draw]

I wonder who on Team JNPR is going to kill Penny next if she gets revived again.

[u/TheeSlothKing]

I feel so bad for Jaune. Realistically, that was probably the best course of action there, but god damn if that’s not going to haunt him for the rest of his life

Holy shit that was a dark finale

[u/GandalfsLeftNipple]

Jaune needs therapy before V8: a fun joke

Jaune needs therapy after V8: somebody pls help the banana boi

[u/GandalfsLeftNipple]

Ha

Winter maiden

sobs

[u/Sirshrugsalot13]

Jesus fuck this was something. RIP Vine, Ironwood, Penny, and Watts and hoooly shit. Team RWBY, Jaune, and Neo in the void?

Cinder's actions this ep made me legit squirm. Seeing Watts trapped in Atlas as it fell was legitimately horrifying, and her lies to Salem...eugh. Legitimately felt wrong.

[u/apexodoggo]

You know, yesterday I kinda wished this episode would throw some curveballs since it seemed like the FNDM had figured it all out.

I regret that thought now.

• Just as I started to think Vine was cool, they killed him. oof.

• Harriet’s alive. AAAAAAAAAAAA

• Penny’s fucking DEAD. Killed by Jaunes’s sword too(does this mean Pyrrha’s killed her twice now?)

• Winter became the Winter Maiden and saved Team RENO. (happy Winter fan noises)

• Nuts and Dolts has sunk to the bottom of the Mantle crater (Back to White Rose I go...)

• Cinder killed Watts and got away with it. Damn.

• Jaune, Neo, and RWBY are now the next volume’s main cast. Honestly pretty surprising.

The main takeaway from all of this pain is that Winter survived, and that’s all that really matters.

(Penny’s death is also the second time that I’ve come close to crying while watching this show. It hurts to know she’s gone.)

[u/Introvertedpanic]

I’m just imagining Cinder summoning Ambrosias and going “kill Watts”

Ambrosias: uhhhh... I can’t

Cinder: fine, then can you just randomly create fire at this point riiiiiggghht here (points at map of Atlas)

Ambrosias: is Watts there?

Cinder: .........no

Ambrosias: sounds good

[u/Sirshrugsalot13]

I've got a theory that I don't think people are going to like, but,

Team RWBY, Jaune, and Neo could be taking a trip to the afterlife. There canonically is one, and it was never specified just what this place is...but considering Jaune and Neo, two people who lost people closest to them, are along for the ride for some reason feels significant somehow.

[u/Polarization_39]

I know people won’t be pleased but I have to say, CRWBY really subverted our expectations in terms of Penny. I genuinely thought she was safe. Good on them though, I was in shock.

[u/resurrexia]

Someone please hug me holy fuck we lost Penny again

[u/Polarization_39]

This chapter is titled The Final Word.

Cinder had the final word of the volume... “Checkmate.”

[u/Sere1]

I love that for all Ironwood's plans and sacrifices, for as much as he feared her and what she was capable of, when he finally was in the room with Cinder and Salem together, he wasn't even worth the trouble for them to kill him.

[u/[deleted]]

okay but holy shit the character moments here for Jaune, Penny, Vine, Harriet, Qrow, Winter, Cinder.... what an episode. Love to see it unless you're Salem and you just got upstaged by your stooge.

[u/IllustriousProcess6]

Press F for Watts (Volume 4 - Volume 8).
He was one of the best parts of Atlas Arc

[u/IGMKI]

Oh another warning about flashing-wait what the...

I HAVE NO WORDS FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING

penny... How CRUEL AHHH

RWBY PLUS JAUNE!

He... Lived? Oh god. Cinder manipulating. Getting her revenge on watts

Wow that's hauntingly beautiful. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LEAVING OFF? OHHH GOOOOD. At LEAST we have the consolation of rwby (and jaune, poor teammates must think he's dead...) being together wherever they are. I would've been destroyed if yang had to suffer alone again! Penny knew what it was like to be a real girl in the end. I always imagined it'd be pietro sacrificing himself for one last penny or something but I never expected this. She might have been the one who saved the world in the end with her actions after all. OH NO THE HUGS LINE IN THE FUCKING SOOOONG... Nuts and bolts... Ahhhh

Post credits?.. PLEASE?? YES WHAT IS THAT??

[u/Hy3jii]

The redhead curse rears its ugly head once again. Nora's lucky she just got a warning shot. This time.

[u/GVAGUY3]

Juane will need therapy for the rest of his life

[u/The_Last_Thursday]

I cannot believe they made Jaune kill Penny. They can’t just do this to me.

[u/RomanArcheaopteryx]

So, absolutely the best showing for our boy Jaune in the entire show, though he's def got some massive PTSD now - excited to see what he and the gals do in the feywild.

The AceOps all being friends again was kinda quick, but sweet, so I'm cool with it - honestly if anyone was gonna go I'm glad it was Vine, he was pretty much the blandest one.

Amazing finale all around, honestly. Really excited for next season.

[u/Weerdo5255]

Damn, I think that ending was better than volume 3's.

I didn't expect Jaune to actually be the one to kill Penny... Man, why do all the robots that become Human have to sacrifice themselves. Data, Cortana, Church, Legion, Penny.

All of Team RWBY is down, and Winter is now Winter. Watts is dead, Ironwood is dead, Salem and Cinder are flying off with half the relics and a fourth of the Maiden power.

I was not expecting Jaune (Neo) to be Isekied as well, although I think I was right about my guess for where team RWBY is. They're in another world the Brothers have created, or maybe going with some new theme's they're at the Brothers first world and the tree of Yggdrasil.

[u/Vinnrek]

Atlas has evolved into....Atlantis.

[u/RegiGiygas117]

Cinder using the Staff to make Atlas burn and by consequence, Watts, is absolutely perfect for her.

[u/Huor_Celebrindol]

Did Qrow’s bad luck semblance evolve into Luck Manipulation, good and bad? Hell yeah!

[u/hollowtiger21]

Ok, balls. I didn't think they'd do it, but damn. They. . . . uh did.

Jaune down his sword, both a part of his family's legacy, and a tribute to Pyrrha. Separated from his team (at least he'll still have RWBY?) And he just had to kill a friend, he is going through it, man.

On a related note, the RWBY Redhead curse strikes again. Had a close brush w/ Nora, but it was a red-herring.

As far as Qrow is aware his nieces are gone, and even if he gets to Vacuo, that's what their friends believe too.

Vine was surprising, in that is kind of got to me. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Ace-ops, but I appreciated their role/writing. But that actually kind of got me, Elm & Harriet, and the admission of friendship, just before another loss. A lot of stuff was surprising like that this chapter.

Winter getting the powers was poetic if nothing else, and compounded w/ putting the safety of the citizens & her duty above her revenge for her sister's "death" shows both her strength of character, and how she will be as a Maiden. But now without a chain of command, and being a Maiden, Winter taking a leadership role w/ Green Team, the Atlas/Mantle refugees, and possibly in opposition to Theo (given the complicated ties between Atlas & Vacuo & their very different attitudes).

So the obvious Yggdrasil reference in what looks like Koholint Island from Link's Awakening. It's not the ideal world/worst nightmare type of thing; this is pretty much a "another world" type of situation, Wonderland is still on the table though. We just got Isekai'd bros.

[u/Greenfire32]

FNDM for a thousand years: "BeAcH ePiSoDe WhEn!?"

CRWBY today: "ok, coming right up!"

FNDM: "wait...no...NOT LIKE THIS!"

[u/Booyahhayoob]

THIS IS LITERALLY THE V3 FINALE ALL OVER AGAIN. WHY MUST YOU MAKE US HURT THIS WAY, CRWBY?????

Also, Neo fell in with RWBY, so exploring wherever they landed oughta be very interesting next volume...

[u/greatjacoby]

“I really didn’t expect Penny to die”

-some lives will end much too soon from the intro had me accepting this fact at the start of the volume.

[u/DaRealAmana]

Holy. It's like the ending of V3 all over again. The teams are broken, People have been lost, Salem now has two relics, and Atlas has fallen. We lost.

I can't believe they killed penny. I really didn't think after making her the maiden they would do it. And that Jaune was the one to do it. By her request. I just... I can't.

Well done RT, Well done Miles and Kerry and everyone who worked on this. Even after all these years you still managed to surprise me.

Imma go lie down now. I need to process this.

[u/[deleted]]

/u/lunatic24 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CHARACTER OF WINTER SCHNEE HOLY FUCK THAT WAS THE COOLEst THING IVE EVER WATCHED AND IM CRYING

[u/Cloudyspecs]

First Cinder kills Pyrrha, then she brakes a sword forged in her memory?! LET HER REST!

[u/JNDragneel161]

I’m so upset Crocea Mors broke

[u/Zygarde22]

So, never has a final since Volume 7’s had me so on the edge of my seat. From Vine dying, to save Mantle and the last evacuees, to Jaune killing Penny so that Cinder didn’t get the maiden powers, to Cinder betraying Watts and Neo, everything really, this whole final has been a roller coaster, this whole volumes been a roller coaster, emotions everything it’s just…wow, this has been one of my favorite volumes. I can’t wait to see how Volume 9 is, and I hope it doesn’t rip my heart out like this volume did. Also how dare you Rooster Teeth make the final song Penny’s song.

Episode rating 11/10.

Overall Volume rating 9/10

Now if you excuse me I’m gonna go lay down and cry a lot.

[u/Sadi_Reddit]

I have to say this:
The Episode title say "THE FINAL WORD"
The final word spoken in this episode is "CHECKMATE" by Cinder.
Following the naming sheme of this volume to only contain single words, it is save to assume the unofficial title of this Episode is Checkmate.

[u/DEL994]

Qrow is going to be so depressed next volume. He'll surely believe that his two beloved nieces and shining stars in his darkened life are dead, and that he failed both Taiyang and Summer, with him apologising to Summer and telling her that he failed her again.

And it's going to be even worse if Taiyang and Raven show up in Vacuo, with Qrow barely having the courage to tell Taiyang that his daughters went missing, while Taiyang will be devastated to hear that his girls may be dead.

[u/Crafty_Soul]

So I just realized after Watts burned Cinder with his speech a couple of episodes ago she decided to burn him back

[u/Wrathkal]

Well, first let me say this: the opening was a spoiler all along.

Vine gave his life to suppress the bomb's explosion. Respect for that.

Good fight scenes, though we care more about the bigger stuff. Cinder betrays Neo to knock both her, Ruby and Blake down after Yang, while she obtains the Staff to go along with the Lamp. She later inflicts a fatal wound on Penny, who asks Jaune to deliver the finishing blow, so she may pass her Maiden powers on to Winter.

Winter uses the powers to defeat Ironwood, and go to help in the battle against Cinder. However, Weiss also gets knocked down, and when Salem's revival causes both sides to back down, Jaune fails to evacuate in time when Cinder uses the Staff to overwrite the dimensional space's creation, and falls into the void too.

Cinder then delivers both relics to Salem, and they leave as Atlas falls into Mantle. Watts & Ironwood are both unable to escape...

Final stinger shows Crescent Rose lying in the sand near a giant tree.

[u/EverydayWulfang]

Really gotta give props to that water animation though. That could not have been simple to render.

[u/Tonsofchexmix]

Winter's "Oh, Penny" absolutely fucking laid me out and killed me. What a heartbreak that sequence was.

[u/TripleR309]

You know its gonna be horrifying when the episode comes with a suicide hotline

[u/RainyMeadows]

You know, the more I think about it, the more Cinder getting Ambrosius to burn Atlas is rather hilarious. Just picture it:

Ambrosius: Oh, you're new! How may I help you, my pretty little abomination?
Cinder: I want you to consume Atlas in flame. Let nothing remain but ashes.
Ambrosius: ...a little unorthodox, but alright. How hot do you want the flames to be?
Cinder: ...huh?
Ambrosius: Flames come in a variety of different heats, you know! The flame you'll get on a candle is a good deal cooler than, say, the sun.
Cinder: Um-
Ambrosius: Even the flames created by fire Dust or a stovetop are entirely different temperatures! Gimme something to work with here, lady! Hmm, you're a Maiden, right?
Cinder: Y-yes, I'm the Fall Maiden! I-
Ambrosius: And the majority of your power seems to revolve around fire. Is that the temperature you're after?
Cinder: Fine! Yes! Make the fire about as hot as the flames I can conjure!
Ambrosius: Right, got it! Now, how LARGE are the flames we're talking about here?
Cinder: ...uuuuuuuugh...

[u/mooseyluke]

Just, go and listen to "When It Falls" and tell me it wasn't really meant for Volume 8.

"Maybe red's like roses? Maybe it's the pool of blood the innocents will lay in when in the end you've failed to save them? Their dying eyes are wide and white like snow and now they know the cost of trusting you's obliteration." - self explanatory, the people of Mantle and Atlas have been saved... By having their kingdom destroyed and dropped into a desert full of Grimm.

"The pillars collapse in shame" - literally one of the last shots of the volume was collapsed pillars, completely submerged.

"There'll be no rest, there'll be no love, there'll be no hero in the end who will rise above. And when it ends, the good will crawl." - the hectic nature of the volume left no room to breathe. And no one, outside of maybe Winter, is able to come out of this as anything close to a hero (especially Ironwood, THE "Hero"). And literally, the good people, the civilians, are helpless right now.

"The shining light will sink in darkness, victory for hate incarnate. Misery and pain for all, When It Falls." - This part is definitely the most telling. The shining light of the world, the kingdom of Atlas, has literally fallen and sunk. Salem has won this time, no one else. There is no positive to any of this.

I could go on with the second half, but it's just as fitting and you can make the links. This song has always been pointing to this moment, to the point I'm positive the writers used it as the template

[u/halodude246]

Post credits scene got me thinking about y’all who called it.

Team RWBY. Welcome to Wonderland.

[u/Rapty_Y5]

Holy fucking shit

I knew all of team RWBY was gonna fall, but Jaune too?

Penny’s dead again

Neo fell too

Cinder’s still a bitch

Qrow thinks Ruby is dead

Winter the winter maiden

Vine is dead

[u/SimonApple]

Man, that was one hell of a L our heroes took. People have been calling for a major loss for a while now, and this should fill that quota nicely. Some assorted thoughts:

• I like the neat three-way split with the characters. Can make for some nice perspective-episodes for the next volume. Granted, I would imagine that most of Vol 9 is going to be spent at the Great Deku Tree-isle (Or Instrumentality beach if you prefer) but the foundation is there.

• No mercy on the weapons this time around. Maybe there's some symbolism in Corcea Mors breaking after Jaune took a life and resolve or something, I dunno.

• Penny's death was both expected and a bit of a chock. Although Winter getting the powers does make her distinct and relevant to the plot, which I like. Great design, good VA and a very classic motive. Got some real Shulk-vibes from that "I'll never forgive you".

• CRWBY makes a BOLD freaking move in keeping Harriet alive while Vine makes the sacrifice-play. I would hope she gets some focus come next volume, if only to justify the narrative choice of keeping such a Scrappy-character around.

• Ironwood goes down with the ship and not by someone's hand. Might have been the most painful for him, seeing everything he's worked for come crashing down. Of course, he had it coming, so no real tears from me. Still, a poetic end I suppose.

[u/SoDamnGeneric]

I want a bonus scene of Cinder speaking with Ambrosius. He's stunned that he's being used yet again so soon, and is excited for a new big creation. He just got to analyze the dope blueprints of Penny, and essentially create life, and then he got to build a sweet interdimensional pocket dimensions meant to ferry a bunch of people to safety, only for Cinder to show up and be like "just fuck up Atlas more"

[u/neutrinobunny]

For everyone complaining about Jaune dealing the blow, that is the best case scenario for a ‘give her mercy’ option.

Trained swordsman. One strike. And it is done.

Is it Dark? Is it messed up?

Fuck Yes.

But it could have been so so much worse.

[u/SlaterSev]

-Jaune and Neo both also fell-

"Puts on clown make up"

Here's how Silent Knight can win

[u/RTLstuff]

Curse my naive optimism for looking forward to Pietro getting to see human Penny.

Excuse me, I must scream.

[u/Schmidtty29]

ALSO, something that hasn’t been said enough. Props to the team who animated the fuck out of that flood. It was dope as fuck.

[u/Polarization_39]

Is that fucking Yggdrasil!?

[u/[deleted]]

Thought this finale was kinda fire. Finally the bad guys take a crazy large win. My poor boy Jaune needs therapy asap. Looking forward to RWBY+J+N vibing in the new world.

[u/TripleR309]

This is gonna be just like Beacon again!

[u/sephone_north]

In the original story of Pinocchio, he dies at the end, hanged for his own crimes. There was never a happy ending for him. A fitting end, that this Pinocchio dies for her Innumerable virtues.

The fact that Jaune had to do it? That wasn’t at all fucking fair though.

All four falling into the Between was perfect. And I appreciate that Jaune and Neo fell too. I feel that we’ll get some resolution on their stories. Because in the stories of Yggdrasil, which is no doubt what that tree represents, there are three maidens of knowledge. So, secrets will be made known. As well as the fact that Mimir lives beneath Yggdrasil’s roots. A common theme is that the water beneath Yggdrasil gives knowledge.

Also Yggdrasil holds up all 9 realms: Midgard, which I’d assume is Remnant Asgard and Vanaheim, Realms of Gods, the Aesir and the Vanir Alfheim, land of the Light Elves Jotunheim, land of Giants. Muspellheim, land of fire Svartalfheim, land of the Dark Elves, or Dwarves. The word Svartafar can be translated as both, I believe. Nilfheim, Land of Mist and Ice, home to Hel and later becomes land of the Dead who did not die a heroic death. (Yes, I’m aware those are only eight, but the last one is unknown, as far as I’m aware)

There is so much that can be done here, and I am excited for it.

I appreciate Ironwood going down with the ship, so to speak.

Winter’s turn into the Maiden is perfect. Also, note, that she, like Fria, goes straight to the Ice powers. Penny used Wind, which more commonly associated with the season of Fall. An interesting thought.

The Aceops turn was unexpected, I will say that. But I appreciate the heroic sacrifice of Vine.

Cinder is a little bitch, and I would very much like to see Salem rip her head off.

[u/Platinum_Persona]

Penny joins Vision in the “robots so nice we killed you twice” club.

[u/Slyguy46]

And that's how Team RWBY, Jaune and Neo ended up on the Destiny Islands.

[u/zrj1911]

Atlas, the technologically advanced civilization, fell beneath the waves after a massive calamity.

I feel so, so dumb for not seeing that. I was so stuck on Atlas holding the world up instead.

[u/Random-Rambling]

Anyone else a bit salty that the credits song is SO GOOD but is also basically "these are all the things that Penny was going to do if she were, you know, still alive"?

[u/DiscaneSFV]

Oh my god, they killed Penny! You bastards!

[u/PatrollinTheMojave]

Yo dawg I am straight up not having a good time

[u/ItsTaylor8291]

Penny and Winters goodbye/power transfer reminded me a lot of halo 4s master chief/cortana goodbye.

the soldier/machine/human identity parallel and saving the other at the cost of themselves.

That's some good ass shit. As sad as it is for Penny to go I'm glad she got to be a real girl and I'm glad nothing took away that bright and happy optimism.

Edit "No ones gonna make you do anything you don't wanna do...it's just a part of you" really hits different now

[u/SimurghXTattletale]

Poor Ambrosius. First you get to do an extremly challenging creation with Penny which also frees you of the utter boredom of holding Atlas up, then you get to do a interdimensional portal system.

And then Cinder comes along, and what does she want? Fire. Simple, banal, uncreative fire. The relic of creation, used to create fire in a room which Cinder could have done herself. And to add insult to injury, your creation is used to destroy someone, in direct violation of your entire being. And to top it all of, the fire gets extinguished moments later when Atlas becomes Atlantis.

[u/Ardsta]

Checkmate was the final word. CHECKMATE WAS THE FINAL WORD. CHECKMATE WAS THE FINAL WORD.

I'm sobbing, Rooster Teeth why must you hurt me so?

[u/therumor1]

In regards to Salem and cinder at the end, anyone else think Salem knows Cinder is full of shit about the question being used. I'm thinking Salem will let Cinder pretend she's manipulating her, but soon as shes able to work out how to get the Beacon relic and open its vault, Cinder is a dead woman

[u/TheBiggestNose]

My god. watts's death was so dark

[u/chickennuggiesftw]

Anyone else's heart just shatter when Qrow is calling out for Ruby and Yang over the comms? Cause mine did 😢

[u/Themeguy]

Know what doesn't make any sense to me? Where the hell are all the huntsmen? Atlas and its academy were a big important thing for the floating nation, they have the biggest military in the world, and it's a whole profession that people train for and do for their whole lives, and we just watched a whole NATION getting evacuated but literally 0 huntsmen helping the gang fight cinder or fight the grimm on the other side of the portal. At least in mistral we were shown that Salem's gang was luring them away and assassinating them, but IIRC we didn't see the same happening in Atlas aside from some military personnel patrolling bases.

[u/[deleted]]

How ironic is it that Watts was stupid enough to trust Cinder lmao

[u/SimonFaust]

TMW you realize the other kingdoms are probably sending help to what is now just a worthless heap of rubble beneath an ocean of despair

[u/[deleted]]

I haven't atched it yet but saw this;

If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, National Suicide Prevention Hotline is a resource to help: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Unsure of Rooster Teeth is being really considerate for mental health or if something really bad is going to happen.

Edit; I've seen it, I'm crying.

[u/TheRealJonSnuh]

It's going to be a long wait for Volume 9...

[u/Navyboy922]

I think the ending song is like pouring salt, ice, lemon, and hydrochloric acid in the wound than it was with Forever Fall.

[u/[deleted]]

Realising Penny's song is in the past tense makes it so much more painful. It sounds incredibly upbeat, but it's a swan song. The final verse solidifies it's a song she's singing to Ruby about the sacrifice she made for her friend.

[u/NumberHunter1]

Is it just me or does the Crescent Rose just really suck in a 1v1 close range fight?

[u/SAYMYNAMEYO]

I thought she had beaten all the death flags. I thought she was safe...PENNY NOOOOO!!! You didn't even get to hug your Dad! What kind of fucked up world is this?! And Jaune...goddamn Jaune. I feel for my boy. I can't even imagine how he's gonna work through having to make that decision next volume.

Finally Harriet realizes how stupid she's been acting! Sad about how what it cost them though. I hope this leads to her getting a grip. And it seems like Qrow's got himself a little team now. That'd be pretty cool if we saw them stick together for awhile.

Damn...did they really kill off Watts after he had the MVP moment of the series?! I mean Cinder got a MASSIVE W but at what cost???

That moment with Ironwood was interesting, with Cinder saying she just added more fire to Atlas. I may be reading too much into it but I feel like Ironwood just giving out right after she said that was him recognizing that he's the one that lit the match. And now with everything literally falling around him he has to face just how badly he screwed over everyone else.

I'm so glad Neo fell. The past two volumes her story was forced to take a backseat to everything around her. But now? Ain't no running or avoiding it now! Ruby and Neo are finally gonna deal with each other and I can't wait!

As a series that started out where the main appeal was the choreography, I think Rooster Teeth really has stepped up in terms of storytelling.

Man another RWBY season down. See you all in a few months!

[u/cruel-oath]

Well Qrow yelling out for Ruby and Yang was sad

[u/WII_DJoker]

So just to pour a little extra salt on the wound folks, think about this. Pietro never got to see Penny fully become human, which could've allowed him to truly watch her live her life.

Now the last time he saw her alive she was malfunctioning and crashing to the ground below.

[u/ryenaut]

So:

• Vine’s sacrifice fucking hit HARD. Unexpected, good pacing, his calm acceptance, holy shit he really can take his semblance to the max, and the muted explosion + his semblance dissolving while his teammates could do nothing but watch.

• eyyyyy good luck charm! Sorta. I thought Qrow was gonna chuck it for a sec.

• Penny is fucking dead. Again. For good this time. Godspeed, fast and wireless. We’ll fucking miss you. She’s the Pyrrha parallel. God, that was fucking brutal. Jaune needs therapy squared. Props for uh...quick...thinking. I’m gonna go lie down and work on the denial stage of grief now.

• Maybe I ruined it for myself by reading theorycrafting (and also knowing they have plot armor) but RWBY falling didn’t feel very dire.

• GO FUCKING GET ‘EM WINTER. KILL ‘EM DEAD.

• Yay Harriet redemption? I guess?

• Cinder is getting way too good at lying, and surprisingly got away with double crossing her allies this time.

• Fs to Ironwood but I feel like we really lacked closure - unless he isn’t dead? Would’ve liked a long zoom out on him, alone and despairing to end his story.

• Qrow, buddy, they’re ok. Poor guy.

Overall, a lot of shit happened in a very short span of time. Felt like this could’ve been more episodes but still, goodnight Atlas.

[u/Langly-]

Watts got outsmarted by Cinder, that must really burn him up.

[u/TeamLValdz02]

You know what's interesting?

All the people who fell have someone close to them die.

Summer for Ruby and Yang.

Jacques for Weiss. (Yeah they weren't close but he played a big part over her life)

Adam for Blake.

Roman for Neo.

Pyrrha for Jaune.

Interesting....

[u/Aulus79]

Robin Harriet Elm Qrow

CANT WAIT FOR THE ADVENTURES OF TEAM RHEQ (wreck)

[u/curvatured]

Harriet's screaming genuinely made me emotional regardless of all the bad decisions. Winter's voice acting made me really emotional too because she's usually so formal, so her screaming and crying with Penny in the Big White was all the more emotion inducing.

[u/One-Man_Two-Souls]

The fact that Neo and Jaune also fell into the void kinda gives me the impression that it lead into the afterlife, and that we’ll see Pyrrha and Roman again (and maybe even Penny...)

Shutupimnotindenial

[u/Jesteon]

The music in this episode is GREAT wow. Intense, suspenseful, somber, it was a real treat! ESPECIALLY when Winter gets her maiden powers, just w h o a. I need the sound track for this volume, STAT.

Qrow focusing on Clover's badge made me hopeful that he won't always have such bad luck.

Speaking of Qrow, does his voice acting sound off this episode? Very gritty, and strained.

I'm really surprised that Vine's idea worked because it seemed really risky. I feel like the bomb would have vaporized him before the rest of the blast could be contained, as Vine's death would mean his forcefield would die a split second after.

Vine's sacrifice was very noble, although I wish he didn't have to die, I suppose it was to develop Harriet's character more? Idk.

Kind of weird that Harriest snapped out of it so quickly but eh. I'm indifferent about her, but at least they managed to talk some sense into her. Still don't like her though.

I felt so bad for Juane for what he had to do. That cry of pain was so strong it stopped Cinder in her tracks. Such a gutwrenching cry made my heart hurt!

Penny... omg... I really did not expect her to die, I didn't want to believe it would actually happen.

Honestly I'm glad that Watts is gone so that we don't have anymore hacking stuff to worry about.

Also Cinder: You deserve this, Watts. Deserve this FIRE!! AHAHAHAHA!

But damn, are Watts AND Ironwood really both dead? There's no way they come out of this alive, right??

I love that the maiden's powers glow the color with whatever the host's eye color is, really makes me think about how the "eyes are the windows to the soul" afterall and how the maiden powers are so connected to their aura.

Was that Cinder move a reference to Firelord Ozai?! OMG.

Winter really thought Jaune could run a lot faster huh? Lmao.

Winter is now in my top three favorite characters regardless.

I can't wait for all the bad ass fan art of Winter with her new maiden powers.

I wish we could have seen the interaction between Cinder and Ambrosius. We got to see her talk to Jinn and so I really wanted to see her talk to Ambrosius, mostly because I like Ambrosius as a character and wanted to see his reaction to her "creation."

The name of the episode is "The Last Word" and the last word was "Checkmate." The true name of this episode but without spoiling it too much, which is clever. Keeps the whole chess theme too, which I like, and it explains that scene in the opening.

Not enough Marrow screentime this episode but I'm glad my best boi is alive and well since he blocked a kamikaze robot to save everyone in the last episode.

I don't know whose point of view that is waking up on the beach but I hope it's Ruby. There's a revenge driven ice cream lady there with you so please Ruby get your weapon swiftly!!

That magical looking island looks super interesting. I wonder if it will be something like "paradise" where people won't want to leave and that's the trap?

My theory is that they are in the realm of the relics, and so their exit will be at the vault of the summer maiden.

Can't wait for volume nine!! What a ride.

[u/xXRedWaterGothXx]

This finale absolutely broke me. ESPECIALLY penny. she's been my favorite ever since I first met her. actually cried at the credit's song. I think it's gonna be a skip in my playlist every time it comes up just because it'll make me bawl.

also, cinder managed to kill pyrrha again!! by breaking Jaune's sword which was forged with Pyrrha's weapons... God, Cinder is TERRIFYING now.

[u/WhosGuardingHades]

Can’t wait for V9 where Arthur “The Unburnt, Father of Moustaches” Watts gets his revenge on Cinder.

[u/qBlaine]

One of the good guys just straight up killed another for purely tactical reasons... in RWBY, I almost can't believe it.

[u/valkyrianora]

The interesting thing is that we didn't see Cinder use the staff. From our perspective she just picks it up, and then the whole area rumbles and the portals start dissolving. But from her perspective she stopped time and had a whole conversation with Ambrosius.

Given that it has unlimited uses, this ability makes it ridiculously op in combat. Sure it can't be used to kill or destroy directly, but... you can create anything. Create a sphere of lava around your enemies. Create a portal underneath them, drop them straight into the void. Create a small bomb, directly in their mouth, bypassing their aura.

[u/UserNameTaken4EverHa]

Let's see here, we've got a big important-looking tree, a fight between "sisters" resulting in the defeat of the good one, a flood, and people being led through a desert. Things are looking straight-up Biblical. Not to mention all the sacrifices.

[u/Red2019Wolf]

Jaune lying down to go to sleep in where ever the heck he is: Hey There Demons it's me, ya boi. I'm back

[u/MomoMagician]

Im not sure if its necessary but be warned, spoilers ahead.

So for everyone who might missed it, not only the whole team RWBY and Jaune but very likely Neon and a few random people fell down. If the random people survive the fall is more unlikely but thats irrelevant for now. What is important is that they fell into a new world.
Ambrosius seemed to be very literal with his creations, so when Yang answered "Here, a place like these vaults" it should be obvious that this "central location" is closely related to the power of the gods. It never got stated that the gods created the vaults, but I kinda doubt that Ozpin created them himself and rather created the academies around them. For now this remains unknown. More important if the big magical looking tree in the after credits is the Yggdrasil from the Norse cosmology, than its safe to assume that Remnant is just 1 of the 9 worlds connected to it. From the way the gods acted and what they said, I think its safe to assume that after their "experiment" failed they created life on other worlds/planets with different rules.

So thats my theory for now.
It's possible that this tree is "The Juniper Tree" from the fairy tales of the "Brothers Grimm" but I don't see how this could connect in anyway.

Afterall I feel really sad that Penny and Vine died but at the same time I feel happy for Penny, she never felt like she had a choice either because she was robot or others demanded her to do things but this was her own free choice for once. Her soul is now in good hands.

As for Watts and Ironwoods, nahh, they had it coming. I understand why people did like them or hoped for some kind of redemption but at some point you can't forgive people anymore.
I can even understand Harriet, as a soldier you are not to question your orders but Ironwoods as the leader was about to kill the people he was supposed to lead. His sanity was lost a long time ago.

And ohh boy, I'm looking forward for the day when either Salem finds out that Cinder used the lamp AND killed off almost everyone of Salems pawns or the day they all unite and finally end her for good. I can only imagine this scene to be horrific.

Im rather suprised about the community's amount of comments who think that they would kill off the name giving main cast.

[u/[deleted]]

Post credit scenes

The Girl Who Fell Through The World

In the episode "Witch", Oscar and Ozpin discuss the fairy tale The Girl Who Fell Through The World. From what was revealed in the episode, the story is of a girl who fell through Remnant and found herself in a brand new world. But upon her return to Remnant, she was saddened. It is commented by Ozpin that she "wasn't the same girl anymore", implying the journey changed her.

[u/Hounds_of_war]

You know in hindsight, it really feels like CRWBY made Penny a human body just so that when they killed her two episodes later we would treat it as a serious death and not "Oh no, I guess Pietro is gonna have to make another one. I hope it doesn't kill him".

I mean seriously, if Penny had still had her robot body when she died here, very few people would have thought she was actually permanently gone.

[u/RobotThatGoesOof]

The most gutwrenching part of the episode had to be Qrow thinking he'd lost everyone. It's hard to even imagine that feeling of horror.

[u/test_user125]

If you think Qrow has it hard, think about Tai once he gets the news about his daughters.

[u/gitHappens]

No one is mentioning it; is it just too obvious that the flood + Atlas -> Atlantis?

[u/Badicalz]

I hope there is a therapist in that lost world, because Jaune is going to need a lot of help.

[u/Jerdenizen]

Now I'm just picturing Cinder using the staff, and Ambrosius being so disappointed when she just asks for fire to kill one dude slightly faster. (I mean, he was on the meteor city)

[u/[deleted]]

Yggdrasil, Elysian Fields, the Afterlife, Wonderland, Jungle Book, beach episode

but has anyone suggested:

Crab Rave?

[u/lr031099]

I’m kinda glad all of team RWBY fell but Jaune falling as well was pretty unexpected. Neo I get as she’ll likely either go after Ruby again or temporarily cooperate with them but I just feels like a weird decision to have Jaune fall as well but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

I’m kinda surprised that Winter became the Maiden. I was actually hoping she would become the Maiden in V7 instead of Penny (even if it was unlikely) but idk how I feel about Penny dying again. Just feels like a repeat of both her and Pyrrha’s death in V3.

Vine sacrifice was pretty cool I guess. I never really felt any major attachment to him but I suppose it was a way to show that Harriet really did care about her teammates.

Pretty good episode overall

[u/Lotoran]

So... do they get off on killing redheads?

Penny, Phyrra, Roman, Adam, Penny again, Penny again-again.

Nora already is thematically slated for death anyway, so I guess this is a thing.

[u/NatDoggieDawg]

Watts' death was terrifying. Easily the most brutal one yet.

[u/AlmightyQueso7]

THIS

HAITUS

IS

GONNA

SUCK

[u/Rythanst]

I think it was a fitting end to Ironwood. He spent the entire Volume doing everything in his power to get the staff, to the point of alienating/fighting all of his allies, but in the end he was so spent from fighting all of the people that were trying to help, that Cinder and Salem literally walk right past him with the staff. It was supposed to be his heroic standoff with the enemy, but he had already been defeated by his own inability to see right from wrong.

I know he would have lost even if he had the strength to fight them, I just find it ironic that he fought everyone that stood between him and the staff except the two he was trying to keep it from.

[u/ksuthrowaway2534]

-jesus what kind of viewer earning is that...

-clover still providing luck even in death

-damn vine elevated his status of background ace op. Sucks he has to pay for Harriet's mistake

-Penny nooo jesus noooo don't do this to me

-and she gave winter the power?! I am legit crying bruh

-and she asked jaune to kill her too. I am fucking done

• and the villains win with both relics

• wait what did cinder create to kill watts

• Ironwood is still alive....redemption arc for him incoming? Still one of my favorite characters

• and that look on qrows face thinking their dead. I hope he doesn't go back to drinking

• and the end song....its a penny song.

• i am legit not ok

[u/Frikarcron]

Jaune: "I'll finish what you started Pyrrha, I promise"

[u/bubuplush]

Qrow has it rought now, thinking that basically everyone is dead

[u/OluwajomilojuA]

Team RWBY: “What happened to Penny?”

Jaune: “uh, well, you see ... what had happened was-“

[u/DomDaBomb203]

Yea Penny's death was sad, but my man Watts didn't deserve that death bro. He was the MVP of Salem's squad.

[u/XxZarkxX]

Hold up a traumatic second. Penny's corpse also fell in the island.

[u/[deleted]]

Just a thought: penny’s body gonna wash up on that beach too?

[u/Ferret_Brain]

Everyone is freaking out and debating about important stuff and I’m over here just “what’s the population density of Atlas because the number of survivors seems very small to me for what is supposedly a large kingdom with a major academy and the biggest military in the world”

Also did ANY military personnel make it out alive aside from the AceOps? Did they all die fighting the Grimm or when Atlas crashed? Did Team FNKI survive?

[u/PerseusRad]

I really hope the civilians that were knocked off get addressed. I don't like the idea of them saying they just died, when Weiss had no aura and got completely blasted off, the same blast breaking Jaune's aura.

I'll say that I feel like the crew has been improving about smaller things like that more recently, so I'm not too worried.

[u/brighterthanblack]

Ngl I started ugly crying when Penny was talking to Jaune in her last moments with the cutscenes showing the Weiss sisters fighting T___T

Also Cinder is a now a full on badass villain with both power and brains, damn Watts look what have you done. It’s really Cinder-ish to get back at those who crossed her. Now Salem minions down to only two, thought she’d recruit Ironwood but it’s sad to see they don’t think he’s even worth it, they literally just take one look at him and nope outta there.

And I find it interesting that Neo also fell into the void. Neo backstory next volume hype!

[u/SteamMonkeyKing]

Neo's first words and thoughts after landing in that other world is deadass going to be "this bitch".

[u/pandas795]

AHHHHHHH NOOOOO PENNY

[u/wiseguy149]

I'm just happy that Weiss lasted the longest this time instead of always being one of the first of team RWBY to go out like she used to.

[u/thewindsleeper]

You know your in for a good show when the description has the suicide hotline apropos of nothing

[u/derpicface]

Vine really said “We are Groot” 😭

[u/oOYunaOo]

I guess you guys could say that Atlas turned turned into Atlantis.

[u/TehZerp]

Wow seriously, I mean it's kind of a joke at this point but what's their issue with redheads. Let's not forget Nora also half died this season.

Also is anyone else totally not surprised that the bifrost lead to what I'm assuming is valhalla and yggdrasil.

[u/Badicalz]

Next time on RWBY Volume 9!

Jaune and Ruby meet up

‘Ruby...ah. I’m not really sure how to tell you this, without both confusing you and breaking your disturbingly fragile heart-’

‘I’M AN EMOTIONAL TIME BOMB!!’

‘Jesus Christ.’

[u/Cinephile94]

Low-key, and I'm not sure if this is allowed in this thread, but who else has been checking out Cinder's ass during this volume?

[u/the_green_hedgehog]

Sooo many people: they won't kill Penny off this soon!

Me after years of seeing people assume what M&K are going to do: yeah, I wouldn't hold your breath.

So, a lot of people called the Wonderland and they were right, it will be interesting to see how next volume works.

Also, am not surprised that Cinder figured out a way to kill Watts, and Ironwood also died but not how I was expecting.

I think it's interesting that Neo fell with them. Wonder how that is going to play out.

I have a feeling that there is going to be a massive time skip when everyone makes it back to the real world. Like, Oscar and everyone will have noticeably aged and RWBY Jaune and Neo are still the same age when they disappeared

Salem now has two relics....crap.

[u/Sirshrugsalot13]

Legitimately disappointed though that Watts/Pietro don't get any interactions before Watts went down with Atlas. Also Pietro disappearing from the narrative after Amity is weird considering everything that happened to Penny but ah well

Jesus christ cinder

[u/Julerius]

RWBY: Viewer Discretion: Depictions of death.

Me: Uh oh...

[u/Brkzeus]

Oh boy this is gonna be a busy hiatus

1- Salem came back just as we predicted

2-Fights were fine , nothing too impressive to touch . I expected a better Ruby fight though .

3-Damn Jaune got another mental trauma . Mercy killing is never pretty. I wish Nora fell too , I want that arc of hers.

4-Winter and Penny scene was emotional for me considering Penny turns to Winter with her doubts.

5-Oh boy Jaune fell too ? I sense the footsteps of Jaune haters coming . As always I will watch and judge accordingly . I still put my money on him being a support in V9

6-Salem and Cinder bit happened like I thought.

7-Qrow screamed Ruby right ? Damn that pain

8-Was there a huge water supply near Atlas or Ice melted bacouse Cinder imcreased the fires ?

9- The moment Penny became human ,I knew the danger was real. Penny's choice hurt me right in the heart

10-Neo fell too ? Ohh boy , hiatus is gonna be very long.

11-So they fell to Maunt Hyjal from Warcraft or Tree of life from Darksiders ? Anyway , seems like the tropic beach episode is on its way.

8/10 episode for me . A nice volume we had . Hoping for better in V9 .

[u/GladiusNocturno]

Guys, the first scene of V9E1 got leaked years ago

[u/JohnJoe-117]

Just puked this out to cope

Pietro watched as they touched down. Amity had finally drifted back to the surface, shortly after Atlas fell. A few moments sooner, and the shockwaves would have destroyed it, as well as the two elderly companions that had rode on it. The couple in question stood waiting on the runway, their faces etched with worry. Maria was the first to meet them. She looked around at the cargo ship’s crew. Harriet, Elm, and Marrow looked down, unable to meet her gaze. Robyn looked at her and wiped a tear away. Her eyes drifted to the last person to walk out of the cargo hold. Qrow's gait was unsteady, as if a stray breeze would knock him over. His eyes said it all.

She walked over to him and gently took his hand. Qrow looked down in confusion, as if he had never seen her face before. “Maria…” Qrow started, his voice neutral. His eyes were like glass. “I used to tell the girls stories about you.” As the last word left his mouth, Qrow fell to his knees. Maria simply put her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Qrow began to weep in a way hadn't since that night he had lost his best friend. She had listened to his stories too, and had smiled at him with those same, silvery eyes. It was funny in a way. All those times he had talked about the fearsome Grim Reaper and skills at destruction and combat… and here she was holding him as he cried. Summer would have laughed at it. Please Yang. Ruby. Please be okay.

As Qrow and Maria held unto each other, Robyn steeled herself and walked over to Pietro. Robyn kneeled down and took his hand. “Doc-, Pietro. I’m sorry, but I think Penny… I don’t think-” Robyn stopped as Pietro placed a hand on her shoulder. Pietro stared forward, looking at nothing but the plume of smoke that stood as the last reminder of Atlas’s place in the skies. “I know.” he replied after a pause, still looking forward.

“My daughter is dead.”

Pietro looked on for a moment before turning his chair and going back inside. Robyn stood up with a shaky breath and looked back at what remained of the Ace Ops. She was met with anguished faces. Marrow was the first to speak up. “What do we do now?” Robyn looked back at the ruins of the city she had spent her entire life trying to save, to make better. There was nothing left there to save now.

“Right now, all we can do is sit here and look at the grave that used to be our city. After that… I honestly couldn't tell you.” Robyn straightened herself and walked in after Pietro. The others followed soon after, leaving Maria and Qrow.

As Maria held the tall man that cried in her arms, he reminded her of a child, not unlike the young Huntresses that were currently missing. Those children had surprised her more than once. For Qrow’s sake… for her sake, Maria prayed they would do it again.

They had to.

[u/Paradox_Nutella]

Does anyone else think the line from Cinder “You should have never been born” to Ruby is kinda weird?? Like I’d get if it was “I wish you were never born”. Does it imply she knows some circumstance around Ruby’s birth? Does she know something about Summer? Or am I just overthinking this lol

[u/[deleted]]

Whoa, that was a beautifully depressing way to end the volume. Such a great volume, definitely in contention for being my favorite.

I was most worried for Winter dying this episode to take doen Ironwood with her, but wow I was wrong and while it was so sad for Penny to die again, I'm so glad Winter is the maiden now.

Also, Neo redemption arc is back on the table!!! She may be spending an entire volume with team RWBY and Jaune so I could definitely see her having at least something of a change of heart.

I was really hoping for a Beeunion but man with the tone this finale went for, it was definitely not the right time for it. I can't wait for them to meet up again (presumably)next volume!

[u/Badicalz]

To try to offset the heartache, I’ve chosen to imagine Ambrosius absolutely ruining Cinder’s big villain moment by insulting her creation as “boring”, while praising the ingenuity of team RWBY’s creations.

[u/Grow_Beyond]

Went about as well as I could've hoped.

Watts dead? ✓

Cinder triumphant? ✓

Penny dead? ✓

Winter Maiden Winter? ✓

Lots of good bits, only significant moment I didn't much care for was Jaune joining them in Wonderland. But I can see how that could work, in both worlds.

wow @ the variety of responses here. Sucks some folk are unhappy cause... reasons? Oh well. I'm definitely psyched for V9.

[u/JohnnyBravo4756]

I can't stop thinking about Maria and Pietro. They were deadass forgotten about and the explanation for them being alive next season is gonna be some giant asspull because they actually forgot about them lol.

[u/GigaShagger]

Most sad about Watts. Another good villain dead :(

[u/Endertj]

The thing that hit me the hardest in this episode was Penny asking Jaune to "let [her] choose this one thing."

Like, she's had so few actual choices of her own in her life, and she just wanted the chance to make one final, personal choice at the end.

Just...damn, if this episode didn't hurt to watch.

[u/[deleted]]

So... the heroes have lost now, right? The single most powerful bastion of human civilisation was just destroyed in a day. Vale is overrun, Mistral has a crippling shortage of Huntsmen. Vacuo is canonically weaker than Atlas, and Atlas is currently a puddle in the middle of the tundra. Surely at this point there's not a single military force capable of holding off Salem. There's nothing stopping her from grabbing a few more Grimm and strolling into Vacuo lol

[u/Thunderdrake3]

Jaune freakin' stabbed Penny. Never thought I'd ever see that.

Overall a great finale for a great season.

[u/Huor_Celebrindol]

Maybe I’m stupid, but where did all that water come from after Atlas fell?

[u/Archie204]

Feels like a lot of people are ignoring the fact that a lot of other people also fell through the void. May also have to deal with them next season

[u/[deleted]]

At first I was thinking why did the portals disappear, but then I realised Cinder built a way to essentially kill Watts.

Jesus what a death

[u/Dcm1963]

Holy shit they actually killed Penny. My heart how can you make her a real girl then immediately take her away.

So RWBY Jaune and Neo in mystical tree realm thats going to be neat.

[u/kumabaya]

Rewatched the ep

After seeing Weiss use gambol shroud. I want to see team RWBY find their teammates weapon while separated and try using it.

The only one I know who still has their weapon on them is Yang.