RWBY: The Top 10 Reasons Why Weiss Should Be Your Favorite Character

Surprise, mothaf#*ka! I wrote another The Top 10 Reasons Why this character Should Be Your Favorite.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Why would I write one about Weiss when this whole mess started with me writing about why Weiss was my favorite? Well, those reasons are all personal to me. They aren't things I'd tell other people. If someone said to me, "Hey, why should I like Weiss?" I wouldn't give them the five reasons I came up with when I wrote my original post. Those answer the question "Why do you like Weiss?" Plus, I called Yang the last one which is confusing to any one who hasn't read the original Weiss post. So, to come full circle, I'm writing this post: The Top 10 Reasons Why Weiss Should Be Your Favorite Character.

But before we begin, I want to remind everyone about my RWBY mailing list so I can keep you all up to date about everything I do RWBY related: http://eepurl.com/cWX8Fj. All who join will get to see the newest versions of RWBY: The Novelization ahead of everyone else. And if you really want to show me the love, support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.con/bryanclaesch. The first few will be privy to my versions of the Red, White, and Black trailers before their official release.

Alright, let's get it on!

"Weiss!"

1. "This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! [...] I can see it now: [...] we'll get perfect grades!"

Admittedly, the scene above says more about Weiss' drive and ambition than her intelligence (hence why it's full of blanks), but let's hold off on that for a minute and take a look at what else Weiss says. She calls herself the smartest girl in class and fantasizes about perfect grades. Even in RWBY Chibi, there are at least three skits of Weiss studying. One in particular is the one where she tries to persuade Pyrrha to study with her. Also, Weiss has called Ruby a dolt and a dunce. Hell, we see her taking notes in Jaundice and proudly answers one of Oobleck's questions. So obviously, Weiss has got some smarts, and intelligence is sexy. Well okay, it's not exactly sexy, but stupidity is a huge turn off.

2. "She's smart and graceful and talented. I mean, have you hear her sing?"

Although Weiss is a pretty rich girl, she's not just a pretty rich girl. Rather than lounging by the pool popping bonbons and making eyes at the Vacuo pool boy, Weiss has taken up a few hobbies and made a name for herself with them. The most obvious one we know of is she sings and we know that she's sung for large crowds more than once in her life. Add to that, I would also think she can dance. I get this from the fact that in the Volume 5 Character Short, many of her movements and attacks are fluid and graceful and seem to be ripped straight from a ballet. Plus, she can do all those fluid movements in high heels. I mean, Blake and Pyrrha also wear high heels, but I think Weiss' are taller. And walking in high heels is not a natural skill; it's something that has to be practiced.

3. "This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together, we will be unstoppable. I can see it now: we'll be popular, we'll be celebrities, we'll get perfect grades! Nothing could come between us now."

Just like I said above, this scene is a perfect example of Weiss' ambition. She has a strong desire to be the best and to be recognized for her skills. When Weiss went off on Ruby in Volume 1 because she thought Ruby was too immature to be team leader, I completely understood where Weiss was coming from. She's obviously put in a lot of time and hard work to be as accomplished as she is. As a result, Weiss is super competitive and always wants to win, even when its at something simple like a board game. She's the ambitious sort.

The price of ambition and subsequent failure.

4. "I suggest that instead of fretting over what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills. Perfect every technique. And be not the best leader, but the best person you can be."

Weiss believes in her abilities and she's very confidant in who she is. Therefore it can come as a blow when she doesn't get something she's worked hard for. And while it may have taken Weiss a few episodes to come around and a good piece of advice from Professor Port, Weiss eventually came around and became a good teammate to Ruby and the rest of her team. She set aside her pride and desire for glory and accepted her position as it was. After The Badge and the Burden,  we no longer see Weiss fight Ruby for the leadership of the team. Weiss even listens to Ruby's commands such as in Painting the Town, casting haste on Blake, encasing her team in an ice cocoon in No Brakes and she even believed in Ruby's abilities in End of the Beginning. She's come a long way since the first volume.

The start of a beautiful alliance.

5. "It was really good to see you, Winter."

Look at how much Weiss is loving this hug.

So, Weiss isn't the easiest person to get along with. She's pretentious and holds the people around her to a higher standard than what seems reasonable. As a result, Weiss comes off as mean, or at least, haughty. But she isn't. Weiss does have a soft and gooey center like anybody else. And I can prove it. When I was making this list, I turned to "Mirror, Mirror" parts I and II looking for inspiration and lines, and I found this bit from "Mirror, Mirror Part II": "Years of scorn will leave you cold / 'Forget your dreams, do what you're told' / When disapproval's all you're shown / The safest place becomes alone." And then in the pre-chorus, there's this part: "And isolation's / The price you pay /  And every friendship / Is pushed away."

So, what does this mean? Well for one, Weiss is actually a victim. But more than that, Weiss' attitude is a defense mechanism to keep others from getting to know her because being alone has proven to be more pleasant than in company, but all she actually seeks is approval. Perhaps that's the reason she's so ambitious, such an insufferable know-it-all, and why she wanted the captaincy of Team RWBY so badly. She just wants someone to approve of her and what she does for once. Even Winter has been a harsh critic, and Winter is the person Weiss looks up to the most. So, despite her harsh exterior, Weiss is actually quite sensitive and is a loving person.

6. "And you, Miss Schnee. A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So, why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?"
"It's exactly as you said. I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty."

Another interesting switch from the pretty rich girl stereotype. While it's entirely possible that Weiss became a huntress to escape her father, she mainly did it for the sake of her personal honor. In Mountain Glenn, Weiss even says her father wasn't the start of her family's legacy and she'll be damned if he's going to be the end of it. While Weiss might feel the need to regain her family honor because of her father's dubious business practices, Weiss still chose one of the hardest ways to go about earning back her family's honor and fulfilling her duty to the world of Remnant which meant going against her father.

7. I'm not your pet, not another thing you own
I was not born guilty of your crimes
Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore
I won't be possessed by your royal test
I will not surrender
This life is mine

Looking at both parts of "Mirror, Mirror" really puts things about Weiss into better perspective. We knew from the show that Weiss had a tense relationship with her father and that she wanted to do something he didn't approve of. But after listening to "Mirror, Mirror Part II" we learn that Weiss has imposed herself into loneliness. This theme is carried over into "This Life Is Mine" and Volume 4. Having had enough, we finally see Weiss take control of her own life. Everything about her: her ambition, her duty, and even her desire for approval has led her to this moment in life. And as a result, she leaves behind the comfort of home and even the Schnee inheritance to pursue what she really wants, and that takes a lot of personal strength.

I can't wait to see the big one.

8. "Says the girl wearing a dress."
"It's a combat skirt."

Swag activated.

Alright, so I covered shallow things about Ruby, Blake, and Yang, so guess what I'm going to do here. Well, I'm not going to say that Weiss is the prettiest of Team RWBY, but I will say she is the girliest. Weiss is very feminine which is funny because she has the body of a 12 year old boy whereas Yang has the most womanly body and the most boyish attitude. But anyway, think about it: Weiss has long hair, she wear's a skirt into battle, she practically dances when fighting, she's constantly in high heels, she wears a nightgown to bed, and she called the act of asking Neptune to the dance as unorthodox--Weiss is such a girl. So if you're a sucker for girlie girls, Weiss is your girl.

9. Myrtenaster

Weiss isn't the best huntress or strongest or even the coolest, but Myrtenaster is easily the most adaptable and best weapon in all of RWBY. I mean, think about it: Myrtenaster has a spinning revolver full of different types of dust that can be used to charge the blade and be used to attack or defend. In one moment, Weiss is using a firebrand and setting forests on fire, the next she's blocking an enemy's chainsword or encasing herself and her team in a protective ice cocoon. I'm really curious to see what else the Myrtenaster can do with other types of dust and if there are any other sword-type weapons in Remnant that are like it. (If I was a huntsman in RWBY, I would probably have a multi-action longsword or something myself.) But because of Myrtenaster's design, it is clearly the best weapon to use no matter the situation. It slices, it dices, it manipulates dust, and it makes French fries in the four different sizes.

10. "Oh? And what do you think you've learned?"
"What do you mean? I'm getting better and better with my glyphs."

Just like how I believe the Myrtenaster to be one of the best and most adaptable weapons in Remnant, I argue the same for Weiss' semblance. She can practically use her glyphs in any way imaginable. She can use them as shields, platforms, to control momentum, defy gravity, do time dilations, and of course, summon those she has struck down in battle to fight by her side. And, she can combine her semblance with Myrtenaster and just break the system. With her semblance, Weiss can be a front line soldier, play defense, or act as support for the other members in her team from making Ruby fly or run up Beacon's CCT to allowing Blake to move at speeds so fast she can slice and dice missiles. Tell me: what can't Weiss do? Maybe she can't absorb the energy of her enemy's attack and deal it out twice as hard back, but when you've got glyphs and a multi-action dust rapier, you don't need a lot of other things.

Undoubtedly, the best Weiss moment and one of the best RWBY moments.

And there you have it. The top 10 Reasons why Weiss should be your favorite character. It you guys think I missed any, go ahead and add them in the comments below.

Keep writing, my friends.


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An Open Fan Letter to RWBY: Why Weiss is My Favorite Character

So, assuming you guys haven't been living under a rock, surely you must know that Rooster Teeth released a character short for Volume 5 today and it featured everyone's favorite little snowflake--and I don't mean those bozos who are still butt hurt over Trump winning the election. I mean Weiss Schnee from RWBY.

Personally, I was very happy to hear about this. I mean, I wasn't jumping up and down with excitement, but I was excited. Not just because I am a fan of RWBY, but especially because Weiss is my favorite character in RWBY. I mean, sure, Ruby is the cutest and has the best post-timeskip costume, Yang is the hottest, even with the robit arm, and the battle for who has the coolest weapon is a tie between Ruby and Qrow, but my favorite character is still Weiss. Why? Well, because I identify with her.

To some that probably sounds a little weird--I mean, a dude identifying with a female character, but Weiss being my favorite character has nothing to do with her gender. I mean, it doesn't hurt as I am oddly drawn and more sympathetic to female characters, either because I've never had a meaningful relationship or it's just my natural male aptitude, but... A-Anyway, I'm losing the plot. Why is Weiss my favorite character? Well, let's break it down.

1. She comes off as stand-offish, arrogant, and spoiled.

When we were first introduced to Weiss, she was the stereotypical spoiled rich girl--in other words, a total Bitchface McGee. But as we learned more about Weiss, one of the things we learned is that because she's from such a high class family, she is almost a sort of princess or nobility. As a result, she was raised to be reserved, refined, mannerly, and always conduct herself with the highest degree of dignity.

Now, I'm not rich. In fact, I was raised in the middle class, and the lower middle class at that. As time has gone on, things have gotten better, but I've never been well off. But, I totally get that Weiss' default personality is to act refined. My parents weren't high class either, but I was raised with an expectation to do well in school, to be mannerly and respectful in public, and to act like a civilized member of society. Now, this manifested in a stand-offish, almost arrogant personality because I am, like my parents, an Introvert, but that's how Introverts act in public. So, when I see Weiss interacting with her friends, teachers, and others, that's more or less the way I act.

2. She looks up to her sister.

When we were introduced to Winter in Volume 3, suddenly all the blocks fell into place about why Weiss was Weiss--she adores her older sister. Weiss looks up to Winter and tries to emulate her, constantly seeking her approval. And sometimes, Weiss fails and Winter punishes her.

Now, I've never been struck by either of my older siblings, and at times, we've been the worst of enemies, but there was a time when I too sought the approval of my brother and sister. The thing about my brother and sister is that they are two years apart while I am nine and seven years behind them. It was just the two of them for a long time, and in that time, they shared a lot of experiences together and grew together in ways I can't possibly imagine. But one of the ways in which they did was that they both have similar senses of humor and I've always found them hilarious. They are seriously two of the funniest people I know. But when they're cracking jokes and they're on a roll, and I try to add my own bit in there... crickets. That's not every time, but it is often enough that I'm sure everyone has noticed. So, I get Weiss trying to be like her big sister.

3. She tries to be serious, reserved, and respectable, but her best friend is a loon.

No one in the whole world except for maybe Weiss herself will deny that Ruby and Weiss are BFF's. Hell, they're super besties-better-than-the-resties. But they are an odd couple. Weiss is ambitious and driven to succeed almost at any cost, while Ruby is just fine with being herself and spending time with her friends. But Weiss is better at dealing with people and social situations in general whereas Ruby's no good at it. In some ways, Ruby is a huge goofball and kind of awkward.

But in those social interactions, despite Weiss' impressive breeding, people tend to overlook her for the more charming, honest, and friendly Ruby. I have a friend named John, and while he is not awkward in the slightest, he's not above being a bit of a goof. He acts weird and gets laughs. He acts weird and people are charmed. He act weird and the girls smile at him. I do my thing with being refined and respectable, and I'm overlooked. Just like Weiss, I think myself amazing and worthy of recognition, but people tend to prefer our goofy friends over us.

4. Weiss' ambition to be the best and resulting humiliation after losing out to someone who seemingly barely tries or doesn't "deserve" it.

Speaking of thinking you deserve recognition...

When Weiss went off on Ruby in Volume 1 because she thought Ruby was too immature to be team leader, I completely understood where Weiss was coming from. We've both put in the time and hard work to be accomplished as we are, and although we don't show it outwardly, both Weiss and I are super competitive with our eyes on the prize. And although our humiliation may not be public, it can be absolutely crushing to fail and lose to someone who seemingly doesn't "deserve" it or was only victorious because of sheer dumb luck.

It's tough to be ambitious in a world where natural skill and ability can surpass ambition and hard work like they don't matter.

5. She's pursuing a vocation that her parents don't support.

Volume 2 is almost certainly my favorite volume of RWBY for two reasons: Dance, Dance Infiltration and Search and Destroy. DDI is awesome because it finally gives a release to the epic blue ballsing that is ship Arkos, and Mountain Glenn is awesome because it has character development. Character! Development! See, I'm a writer, and I love character development. Hell, I bop my baloney to that shit. But the best thing about character development is finding out why characters do what they do. And finding out that Weiss saw being a huntress as her "duty," rather than springing for a cushy job in Atlas was pretty cool.

But then when we found out in Volume 3 that Weiss wasn't supported in her endeavor to be a huntress by her father, well, it really hits home for me. As I've mentioned in an earlier blog post, my parents don't support me in my dreams to be a writer. They think it too difficult and too luck based to be a good life choice. But, writing isn't just simply a job to me--it's my purpose, my calling, my vocation, it is the reason why I exist. I am because I write, and I write because I am. So really, Weiss and I are in the same boat there, and while we're disappointed that our parents can't be there for us, we won't let that stop us. Hell, our parents' disappointment is one of the driving forces behind why we do what we do... because we have to prove them wrong!

6. Weiss has the best and most adaptable weapon and semblance.

Weiss isn't the best huntress or strongest or even the coolest, but Myrtenaster and the Schnee Glyphs are easily the most adaptable and best weapon and semblance in all of RWBY. I mean, think about it: the Myrtenaster has a spinning revolver full of different types of dust that can be used to charge the blade and be used to attack or defend. In one moment, Weiss is using a firebrand and setting forests on fire, the next she's blocking an enemy's chainsword or encasing herself and her team in a protective ice cocoon.

Then, there are her glyphs. They can be used as shields, platforms, control momentum, defy gravity, do time dilations, and of course, summon those she has struck down in battle to fight by her side. And, she can combine her semblance with the Myrtenaster and just break the system. Weiss can be a front line soldier, she can play defense, or she can support the other members in her team from making Ruby fly or run up Beacon's CCT to allowing Blake to move at speeds so fast she can slice and dice missiles. Tell me: what can't Weiss do? Maybe she can't absorb the energy of her enemy's attack and deal it out twice as hard back, but when you've got glyphs and a multi-action dust rapier, you don't need Yang's semblance.

Well, those are all the reasons why Weiss is my favorite character. If you guys haven't seen the RWBY Volume 5 Weiss Character Short, you can see it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZAS_rzgCE0
And if you want to see the video critique I did of it, here's the link to that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-_UM0FZMX4&feature=youtu.be

Keep writing, my friends.

This blog is not endorsed by Rooster Teeth in any way. Views, opinions, and thoughts are all my own. Rooster Teeth and RWBY are trade names or registered trademarks of Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. © Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.