RWBY: The (Never) Ending Story

This July, Monty Oum’s once hit show RWBY celebrated the eleventh anniversary of its first proper episode. As most fans know, this wasn’t the first significant date for the series, as the famous Red Trailer that announced the show’s development first premiered the previous November. But what’s significant about this specific anniversary is that it is the first following the shuttering of RWBY’s original company, Rooster Teeth, which finally closed its doors after struggling the past few years. Since then, there has been some good news, as it was recently announced that Viz Media, which had distributed the various RWBY spin-off manga over the years, would now be taking full ownership of the property. While this has not currently led to any progress in finding further funding for the show itself, it does at least provide some foothold that the tale of Ruby Rose and her multi-colored friend group will find some closure after all. But as we are in a holding pattern waiting for more news, let’s take a brief look back at the highs and lows of this unique production and see if the simple souls still steering the ship will find victory in the end.

Once Upon a Time…

RWBY was conceived during a very different time for the Internet and the content it produced. Coming off the milestone of reaching its tenth season, the breakout Halo parody show Red Vs. Blue closed out its credits with a trailer that consisted of little more than a highly stylized fight scene between a girl in a red hood holding a scythe and a horde of ravenous demonic wolves. Over the course of the following year, we would get to know this girl, Ruby Rose, and her teammates in monster hunting, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby’s half-sister Yang Xiao Long, forming Team RWBY. Soon after, the series proper would launch on the RT site, and while it would be met with mixed reception from the start, it forged ahead through its first two seasons. Sadly, Monty Oum would not live to see it past this point, passing away in early 2015, but most of those who knew him would carry the torch and keep the series going, managing to become the company’s flagship show by the end of its third season. From there, its popularity only grew, with insane amounts of merch, several print spin-offs and adaptations, a few video games here or there, and even an anime. Despite always being somewhere in the middle between indie and professional, the series made the most of its situation and kept itself alive much longer than anyone expected.

Now That We’ve Come So Far

RWBY’s streak of releases continued on through to its ninth season, when their parent company could no longer keep itself going. Despite releasing a few animated shorts titled RWBY Beyond as a way of holding things over until they could secure funding, these would turn out to be the last produced under the Rooster Teeth name. Within the story, Team RWBY had survived waves of monsters, conquered several intimidating foes, made allies and friends, and learned the secrets of their world. But despite their story managing to outlive nearly all of their peers, the means to continue were simply no longer there. So, after escaping the maddening realm of the Ever After and reuniting with their friends in the desert city of Vacuo, they awaited the eventual final battle against their greatest enemy, Salem. Much still remains unresolved, such as the location of the final two Relics, the identity of the Summer Maiden, the key to defeating Salem’s immortality, and even the mystery surrounding Ruby’s mother. All of these matters will probably require multiple seasons to fully resolve, but whether they’ll get that time and funding is another matter, so for now, the tale lies dormant, just like a book gathering dust in an abandoned library.

Keep Moving Forward

With the closure of Rooster Teeth, most of its properties were scattered to the wind. The Stinky Dragon tabletop show was bought out by its creators, as was the popular pop culture mash up Death Battle (which recently started a Kickstarter for a new season). As for RWBY, it was bought by Viz Media, which previously published its many manga spin-offs. While there’s been no news as to how new episodes will be made, it will at least provide a host for the existing nine seasons in the meantime. It’s not the clear greenlight to move forward that some were expecting, but for now, it’s a sign of hope that many have needed. As for me, I’d love to see the story completed as close to the original intent as possible, though how we’ll get there is obviously much more limited. Streaming content is a lot more controlled by corporate interest than it was when RVB or RWBY first began, and the franchise’s waning popularity means it may end up getting more interference or cost cutting involved in future projects. Simply put, as RWBY the franchise enters this new, possibly final era, things are cloudy and the path forward is unclear. But even so, those who have worked on it and those who have watched it will make sure it keeps moving forward, in the immortal words of its late great creator, whose creative spirit still inspires today. Then maybe, someday, we’ll see these characters reach their Happily Ever After.