#yeah its integral to understanding Ozpin

[nightmare-foundation]

Yknow, I feel like part of the reason why people don't understand Ozpin as well as they probably could is because they... don't understand how the merge works. Let me explain.

The fandom has this expectation that Ozpin will take over Oscar when the merge is finished, and that Oscar will just disappear. Honestly, I think this is an extremely inaccurate reading of the merge based in bias and listening to unreliable narrators.

"But Oscar says he's afraid of disappearing, and expects it to happen. Isn't this reliable?" <- good question. No, I don't believe it's all that reliable. Oscar is experiencing the merge for the first time, and has no clue how it'll end; because of this, and his personal fears, he draws conclusions, and that conclusion is "I'm going to disappear into the collective of lives that is Ozpin." I also don't believe that this specific sentiment has been said by Oscar since v6, but it's been a while, so I can't remember.

Meanwhile, though, Ozpin himself never said that he was going to take over Oscar and that Oscar would disappear. When it comes to talking about the merge, Ozpin always frames it as Oscar gaining, rather than losing to him. Oscar will inherit my memories and muscle memory, you're recollecting my longest held memories and gaining control over my remaining magic, etc. It's almost framed as if OSCAR is taking from Ozpin, rather than the other way around.

"But Oscar has been changing throughout the volumes, if Oz isn't taking over, why is he changing?" <- another point. Oscar IS changing, but it's more superficially. His vocabulary is widening ("plummeting immediately" for example), his mannerisms have changed a little but mostly in the confidence department, and his voice has lowered, plus the inherited magic and memories. But his actual personality and deepest parts of his identity hasn't changed; he's still wise in his own way, notably different from Ozpin; he's optimistic but still realistic, for one, and he's very contemplative, and expresses importance in the individuals, vs the many as Ozpin does. He also still has his own unique brand of sass, his unique strategies and planning (how he handled the situation in Monstra), etc. He still identifies as Oscar, and the biggest change is definitely the gained confidence.

But, harder to notice, especially if you're not insanely obsessed with them like me, Oz has also changed, arguably more than Oscar. At this point, his entire voice has changed; the cadence of his voice, the timbre, his vocabulary and how he words things, etc. If you compare Ozpins current voice and Oscars, both Aaron Dismukes version and Shannon Mccormicks, they sound nearly the exact same. There's VERY little difference- at times, Oscar seems a little more formal than Ozpin! Oz's mannerisms and facial expressions have changed a lot as well, adopting more of Oscars (wider eyes, softer looks, lots of movement with his hands without their cane, honestly likely more that's escaping me rn). He also talks to the other characters as peers now, though it's hard to tell if that's from the merge or character development. I'd also mention how Ozpins worldview has drastically changed, but that's from character development and canonically, Oscar inspired him, but basically he's completely picked up Oscars views and beliefs (even if he's a little hesitant at times, he still trusts Oscar).

But basically... they've both changed, arguably Oz more than Oscar, both from the merge and character development. And it seems to me that it's more likely that Oscar won't disappear? Especially when you consider Ozpin saying "I understand. I went through the same panic and confusion you are." <- this is talking about the merge in v4, when Ozpin just appeared in Oscars head. Obviously, he'd have to be referring to being an ordinary person (likely a teenager) suddenly having a voice show up in your head. Ozpin identifies AS Ozpin- not as any previous incarnation (though he identifies with the memories too), so I doubt he identifies as Ozma. Thus, this implies that they change.

Also, soul in rwby IS identity. Aura is your soul but tangible. Thus, if two different souls merge- that inherently implies a change of identity. The souls change, thus the identity changes. Plus, Ozpin literally says IN v5 that "I am the combination of countless men, living, dying, and reincarnating, and i am changed- but my memories stay with me." It seems that the only constants are their memories, magic, and immortality. Everything else changes- "I am changed."

So I definitely don't think that Ozpin just takes over and absorbs his hosts. Everyone who thinks that's how it works in-universe are unreliable narrators; Ironwood, Leo, Qrow, Salem, even Oscar himself (though atp I think he might have an idea that he won't disappear, but he still doesn't want to change, which is reasonable). Oz's inner circle members wouldn't know in-depth how the merge works, bc a) Oz tended to lie to them and b) i doubt that's something he wants to discuss anyways. Salem wouldn't know because when Ozma told her, he'd only reincarnated once, and he only had the God of Lights really vague, cryptic words to go off of, and Salem herself has likely only been informed by people who wouldn't know how the merge works anyways (Leo). And i already explained why Oscar is also an unreliable narrator about it too.

Light and Jinn are also hints as to how it works too; they imply the hosts don't disappear by saying "Until then, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone." And "As the centuries passed, he learned to live with the people in which he had been paired." So naturally, the hosts don't disappear, and everything else says that Oz changes.

Another, smaller note, but you can tell with the other Oz's seen in The Lost Fable that they all act differently. It's more obvious with Ozma and Ozma 2.0, but you can tell with the rest of them (and even the hermit in the story of the seasons), since they all have different mannerisms and, for those who speak, they kinda speak differently as well. They're also vastly different from how Ozpin acts, both from the beginning of rwby to now, and they act differently from Oscar.

TL;DR: the merge isn't a takeover on Oz's part; they both change and, at the end, identify with whoever the host is (hence the name change).

[aspoonofsugar]

Hi!

I hope you don't mind me integrating this post with some thoughts. I am really just expanding some things I have already written here.

In short, Oscar's remark on Ruby's eyes has 3 layers:

It implies Oscar finds Ruby's eyes beautiful

It connects Ozpin and Oscar

It foreshadows what Oscar and Ruby's relationship is about

1- Oscar complimenting Ruby's eyes is a little flirt, which parallels Rosegarden with other ships. BB, WK, EM and RN's first interaction has a little flirt, which foreshadows the (probably) eventual romantic nature of their bonds.

2- Ozpin and Oscar tell Ruby the same thing:

Ozpin: Ruby Rose… You… have silver eyes.

Oscar: You… have silver eyes.

This highlights their connection and ties with Ruby alluding to Dorothy. As a matter of fact Dorothy's slippers are silver in the books. In other words, our Wizards immediately recognize Ruby's powerful slippers (her inner strength).

3- What is this inner strength about? Ruby's silver eyes are a metaphor for Ruby's idealism:

Maria: Just legends of warriors whose eyes shone like mirrors, reflecting the light of the world onto darkness.

Their power is to take the light of the world and to mirror it. They see the beauty in darkness and never give up on hope. In other words, Ruby's special power is being a wide-eyed idealist.

Oscar immediately lacing out on this shows he is instinctively drawn to Ruby's optimism. He intuitively sees it and understands its importance. This is confirmed in the aftermath of the dojo scene:

Ruby: Hey, Oscar? This isn't gonna be easy, but the fact that you're even trying says a lot about you. You're braver than you think. Ozpin: She really is remarkable, isn't she? Oscar: Yeah. She must've been one of the best Huntresses at Beacon, huh?

Here, Ruby has shown no special fighting or strategic prowess. Rather, she has displayed her strong spirit and inner strength. Oscar falls for these traits and recognizes their value.

So, our Little Prince can immediately see the true nature of our Little Red Riding Hood. Just like the Little Red can see something is off by looking the Wolf in the eye, Oscar notices Ruby's real self at first glance.

Reason Why Rosegarden is Canon: #005

As mentioned in the previous post, Oscar's fairytale allusion is The Little Prince, a character who is in love with a Rose. There are ample examples of how his story links back to that source material, but one of the first of which we see when he meets Ruby Rose for the first time.

Upon seeing her, Oscar steps through the doorway and immediately comments in awe of her physical appearance, implying that he thinks she is beautiful.

💡 Please take a moment to appreciate that the first word out of his mouth upon seeing her for the first time was literally "Woah."

Versus...

Then one morning, exactly at sunrise, she suddenly showed herself. And, after working with all this painstaking precision, she yawned and said: "Ah! I am scarcely awake. I beg that you will excuse me. My petals are still all disarranged . . ." But the little prince could not restrain his admiration: "Oh! How beautiful you are!"

Not only is that attraction established from their introduction, their first words to each other directly mirror one another's and co-relate to both of their greater character narratives surrounding identity.

Oscar: You... have silver eyes. Ruby: Who... are you?

Oscar comments on Ruby's eyes, the legacy of Summer Rose that she is carrying, and one of - if not the only - trump cards they all have against Salem and her forces.

Meanwhile, Ruby comments on Oscar's identity asking him who he is. Which Oscar, some nobody farmboy from the Mistral countryside who is the next in line as an Ozcarnation, spends every following volume trying to figure out. Who he is, who he's becoming, and who he wants to be.

[faunusrights]

OFFAL HUNT REMASTERED LIVEBLOG // CHAPTER 18

IN THIS EPISODE OF ROBLOX OOF NOISE:

“Yes.” Glynda couldn’t hang up, not without: “I’m—I’m sorry. About what I—”

“It’s alright. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay—” The feed cut. Softly, Glynda said again, “Okay.”

GLYNDA DISCOVERS WHY BEING CINDER FALL SUCKS

do u know how hard it is to wake up and play animal crossing whilst knowing this chapter looms over yr shoulder,

OKAY HERE WE GO

She was fidgety; even Cinder mentioned her pacing, shooting a critical eye her way. Glynda sat, intent on stillness; moments later, Cinder mentioned her bouncing leg.

i LOVE it when a chapter calls me out just right out of the gate hahaha who gave u the right

"Really?" How long had they been doing that? How long ago had Cinder noticed? "Should I stay?"

cinder: maybe i should tell glynda abt that /see glynda pacing a dent into the floor cinder: ooooooor i could. NOT give her an excuse to bully them for something to do,

On her way down the street, Glynda couldn't help but stare at the car, its tinted windows revealing nothing within. As she passed it, she kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting an attack or something. But nothing came of it.

HJGDFSGSDFHKGHJDF GLYNDA,,,,,,,,,,, can u imagine being in the white fang, and sittin in yr fuckin. TINTED WINDOWED like BULLETPROOF CAR and yr sat on yr ass watching out for cinder “dumbass” fall and suddenly glynda goodwitch, The Top Bitch, comes out and starts GLARING YR CAR DOWN,,, like ah. i think she knows we’re here. hrm. hm.

i would just like. drive to mcdonalds and get some nuggies at that point.

She had a clutch of flash-images and a wash of emotions and impressions, the raw materials of memory, stored as-is without refining. She was quite used to that—most of her missions were hazy and rough in her memory, mere sketches of events.

i cant wait for glynda to become a vlogger if only so she can actually have physical proof of whatever the fuck happens whenever she goes out and about. get her a go-pro.

It told her: despite her restlessness, despite the arduous journey here, and despite the way Vale seemed to call for her from somewhere beyond the horizon, she felt quite content to be where she was.

the difference having a gf has huh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, u got a whole ass home (being cased by the fang) a real nice city to live in (its floating and atlas wants yr number) a bunch of unread msgs (from a [redacted] who [redacted]) and its a nice day!!! its all coming together. but probably not for very long,

(i got very distracted at this point making a line graph for the animal crossing stalk market so here we go, x2 edition,)

That meant the nightlife would soon begin. She had never liked crowds; too many people, too much input at once. It was hard to focus, to be comfortable.

/chefs kiss

autistic glynda did u kno: id die for u,

Since she’d blocked Ozpin’s number, there was no chance of receiving anything directly from him—but there was still a moment of pause each time she checked her Scroll, as if expecting his smiling face to appear somehow.

OH YEAH LMAO SHE DID THAT SHIT HUH,,,,,,,,,, i still cannot BELIEVE that happened. GOD. cant wait for this to bite her entire ass right off her body,

By the time she reached the top landing, Winter had replied: “I wasn’t aware that you had additional support on this mission, Professor. I will need their full name and Hunter’s license number.”

To answer Cinder Fall and she doesn’t have a license, but she does have several warrants for her arrest felt like inviting Winter to question not only her integrity, but her sanity as well.

SDHGJFKSKGHDJFGJHDKF i cant say what makes this funnier because 👈😎👈 but HOHOHOHOOOOO could u imagine the fallout if she did just, say that shit. if we just went and fuckin said it like it was no biggie--

Finally, Glynda let her shoulders relax, exhaling deeply, like she would before rushing a Grimm. She wrote it plainly: “The clearance is for Cinder Fall.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MA’AM WHAT THE F U C K

winter rn:

She’d just have to wriggle her way out of having to talk face-to-face, then return the game to a field she felt slightly more comfortable with: text.

okay this is so funny to me cause i just keep thinking of her sending ‘no reason’ to oz. a MASTER of textual conversion. un fucking PARALLELED in this field, UNRIVALLED,

Glynda tossed a look at the door as well, her mouth pulling into a line; what if Cinder came outside? What if—

Could Winter track her exact position using her Scroll signal? She minimized the projection of Winter’s face and hurried off in a random direction the instant she hit the bottom of the stairs.

i LOVE these two because this is the first time we’ve rly seen glynda like. Actively do smthng to defend cinder in this sort of way? she’s been pretty passivve abt letting cinder take the lead when theyre together but on her own shes thinking of all the contingencies to make sure winter cant find cinder and u know what. thats gay. what will u do for yr not-gf when yr talking to someone who would kick her ass in a hot second,

also im TAKING to grab choice lines here to comment upon but honestly this next section is SO GOOD that im rly struggling to find a line to encapsulate how much i am LOVING this convo. i cant say exactly WHY im loving it because again thats 👈😎👈 BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY GOOD FOOD AND I AM ENJOYING IT. and im also enjoying this line a lot

Winter’s voice was decisive: “Professor, if you hang up on me, I am flying to your location—tonight.”

winter: if y’all dont shut the fuck up back there i am turning this car, city, and continent AROUND,

It was the same thing, over and over: people didn’t understand her and she didn’t understand them. It was an exercise in futility that only gave her grief. In the end, she gave up on trying to explain herself. She resigned to being wrong, to always being wrong, even when she knew she wasn’t.

OOF OKAY WHAT THE HELL IS UP W/ THIS FIC AND CALLOUTS. HUH??? ME BITCH!!! I FEEL THAT!! AND IT SUCKS,

/reads the next bit

oh are we donning our tinfoil hats? we’re donning our tinfoil hats.

It was so easy. Glynda didn’t stumble over her words even once; didn’t waver. She was built for doing harm. Her anger burned hot and clean; it excised all the hurt like a malignant tumor.

Maybe she really had learned something from Cinder—channeling her frustration, her guilt, her pain, all of it into anger like this was something Glynda was new to. But it felt good. She leaned into it, letting it take the reins; the distressing memories vanished like wisps of smoke, vaporized by the heat of her wrath.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS god this is. SO EXCITING. i also love it when ppl rub off one one another its my FAV thing in the WORLD and this anger is. WOO. this anger is. DANDY. its also a very short-term burst of pleasure glynda so enjoy that hollowed-out whoopsie feeling that i sure get when i Blow Up,

“She butchered my friend!” Winter snarled, the camera shaking as she slapped the desk. “She butchered my friend in the streets like he was cattle! And I have done everything in my power to help you! Everything! To keep her from doing the same to you, and you’ve blown me off or lied or—” Winter’s voice snagged. “And now you tell me—you accuse me—”

It was early evening in Umbraroot, but it must already be night in Atlas. The shadows revealed the unclean angles of Winter’s face: the bruises of exhaustion under her eyes, the lines of stress at the corners of her mouth.

im sorry im just copy-pasting wholesale at this point but OH this is GOOD. i cant rly explain. like. the difference-- because you’d think from the og version this is just a bit more flavouring right? its like getting a bit of hot sauce on yr chicken wings and yr like ‘okay it adds smthng but its not like a side meal’ BUT IT IS A SIDE MEAL this is like a whole basket of fuckin. cheese-baked fries. winter DESERVES this screentime she DESERVES to have presence in this fic and OH does she USE IT im LIVINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Glynda wanted anger. She wanted fire and brimstone. She wanted a fight.

What she got was the glisten of tears on pale lashes. A hand covering Winter’s trembling mouth.

The ashy taste of remorse in her throat.

THERES THAT HOLLOWED-OUT WHOOPSIE FEELING!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE IT IS RIGHT ON TIME. its like CLOCKWORK,

She didn’t have anything. Nothing against that. The possibility that Winter might truly care what happened to her had been so insignificantly small and easy to trample. She had forgotten about the losses Winter shouldered the moment Cinder had whispered inheritance.

it’s just like clockwork,

also this chapter feels lengthy but maybe its just cause i got distracted with animal crossing so ill have to do a wordcount check at the end

/checks

no its lengthy this is a thicc one,

“I know,” Glynda said. “I know. I know how this sounds. But she’s the only person who makes me feel like—like I make sense.” In her mind, Glynda lay in the darkness of Cinder’s bedroom, watching the glaze of streetlights along her lips as she said you.

you,,,,,,,,, we,,,,,,,,,,,, our,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, its all that gay shit,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that Cinder Fall is a tremendous liar. She could convince you it is raining in Vacuo, given enough time. Two years ago, I was working on the Argus base, where I met her as a client; she told me she was a merchant seeking entrance into Atlas—she had all her documents in order, her entire persona set up, and she sold it perfectly. She was flawless—and all of it was fake. She gave me no reason to doubt her. She was—”

Winter cut herself off, abruptly. Then: “Once I was comfortable and safe, she burned down my office and murdered my friend.”

YES,,, SLOWLY THE LORE PIECES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! winter is once bitten twice shy, but mayhaps we mean,,, once burnt,,,, twice shy,,,,,,,,,, hrmmmm,

Glynda told Winter everything.

OH MAN,,,, we’re really getting this messy fucking trio up in this bitch i am SO excited. i am THRILLED. here! we! go!!!!!!!!!! also i said it before but again im so glad winter gets to Be Here for this. sure this has nothing to do w/ her destiny or w/e but shes here now. shes in the uber. she waiting outside.

The dying potted plant Glynda had spotted last time on the back wall’s shelf had been replaced with a new one; this one’s leaves were beginning to shrivel at the ends.

dsfjhhkljsdf side note: is this like that scene in finding nemo where all the new fish see the niece and go ‘oh no we’re gonna die’ but instead its plants getting taken into winters office? they go ‘im sorry, mate, but once you go into her office, you come out TOTALLY dead,’

okay so this whole convo happened and if i try to pick one section ill end up picking it all AAAAAAAAAAAAAA im dying out here. WINTER BLEASE,,, BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES CINDER CAN TELL A HALF-LIE. A SORTA-TRUTH. A SEMI-HEMI-DEMI HONESTY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

How different would that mission have gone? How different would her life have been?

She found herself saying, “He had so many chances to tell me. Instead, he let me think I was reckless. That I was a danger to other people. I stopped working in teams. I didn’t have many people in my life to begin with, but afterwards was worse. He saw to it that he was all I had, and he let me think it was my fault.”

ROBLOXOOFNOISEDISTORTEDWITHDELAY.MP4

OOF!!!!!!! O O F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! honestly OOF that shit HURTS BITCH!!!!!!! thats BANANAS. WILD. im also loving (hating???) the increase of painful glynda lore and honestly everyone feels like they have So Much More that builds them up and im THRIVING off it. im also suffering for it.

With the video feed closed, Glynda could see she had new notifications. Missed calls. From Cinder.

Glynda’s stomach lurched. She stowed her Scroll before she could think about them.

At the mouth of the alley, she could see the shape of Cinder’s apartment in the distance. She stood there for a long time, staring, uncertain what to do with her hands, unsure what to do with her heart. Her jaw flexed. She remembered the tears on Winter’s lashes. The friend she’d lost.

Glynda took her first step toward the apartment.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and so the soft domestic shit ends. but nowhere near as explosively as id thought???????? HUH. H U H. must b because we’re gearing up for smthng honk honk honk

ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. this chap was SO good its astonishing (despite the [several] times i got distracted by animal crossing rip me). WINTER!!!!!!!! BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant believe this disaster trio is coming together. also cant wait for glynda to tell cinder the shit she just pulled. oh no,

(also the wordcount was 5,931. just in case u were curious)

[shana340]

So what’s been bugging me so far in the show is that I don’t feel that team RWBY has grown much as group. I mean mostly in their skills and abilities as well as their own character development. Sure they got new designs, but it doesn’t feel like they’ve really... grown, or gotten stronger to put it.

 Ruby doesn’t seem to show much improvement in her scythe wielding, not saying that shes not a skilled scythe user, she is! It’s just that it feels like she hasn’t gone beyond that. Her abilities has stayed at the same level to me. Volume 5 she learned minimal hand to hand combat and the headbutt but that doesn’t change how she uses that in her fighting style. Maybe it did but maybe I might just have missed something. It doesn’t seem like she even took some of Ozpin’s advice on “Being aware of any openings”. Now learning how to use silver eyes, that doesn’t effect how she can become stronger as a huntress. Yeah silver eyes is a freaking deus ex machina when it comes to Grimm, but how can she use that with just regular people? Throughout the series I think it goes the same for the other characters too somewhat, where each character hasn’t improved much or at all when it comes to their personal style of fighting. 

For Weiss she can use Myrternaster very well for combat with the use of her glyphs and summons. Previous series she was able to integrate her fencing skills and her glyphs as well as dust to improve her abilities as a huntress. I understand that there is a huge change right after volume 3 but still its something I wanted to point out on the more recent volumes. Weiss now knows how to summon, that’s great and learning a new skill can be a good thing to show growth in a character too, but it doesn’t seem to show how she can use that with the way she fight in close quarter comabat. She is a support kind of character, but any support character should at least be capable of handling their own especially when you are in a team as well as one on one.

I did like how Blake in Volume 3 when she only had her shadows but the minute Weiss gave dust she was able to combine that with her semblance. Now I don’t see much of that in the most recent volumes I mean she does use her semblance but maybe she ran out of dust? But still, it would be nice to see more of the use of the elemental clones, because those are pretty freaking useful when you know when to use it!

Yang... I don’t think she changed that much... she has gotten smarter and is able to use her semblance more strategically now I guess?  I think that was the point of the end of Volume 6? I mean its still the same semblance... I don’t know how it has gotten stronger...

My point is that I would like to see that the characters actually gradually become stronger along with their character developments. For many shonen animes and other TV series shows the main character growing not only personally but also in their skills. Like Naruto before can barely do a Shadow Clone but as time goes on he begins to grow as a person and long the way learns new skills to show how much stronger hes become. Shaman King you have the characters’ oversouls gradually become stronger after training and every battle the characters face. ATLA and Legend of Korra has so many great examples of this, Katara before was a competent waterbender but now you can consider her as waterbending master. To me personally it just doesn’t feel like Team Rwby has gotten stronger, they still feel the same for now but we’ll just have to see Volume 7 and see how that goes. 

[littlemisssquiggles]

so I just recently found ur page and I’ve been trolling though a lot of ur rosegarden theories and I love them. Rosegarden is my favorite ship and my favorite theory I’ve read has to be the one were u pitch the sketch for Oscar to be in RWBY China. Anyway, I have a theory I would like ur opinion on. Oscars semblance. I don’t know if you’ve posted about this but, I think it should be plant manipulation (full poison ivy). I know this theory isn’t new but think the evidence is there what u think??

Pleased to meet ya Dark! RWBY China? Oh you mean RWBY Chibi! I’m assuming you meant Chibi XD And awesome, yeah I’ve been noticing your likes on some of my posts these past couple of days. Thank you so much. I’m pleased to hear you’ve been enjoying them. Particularly my Rosegardenones since they’re always my favourite ones to write.

Regarding Oscar’s semblance; I actually shared one or two posts on my idea for Oscar’s semblance including one which was a response to RWBYYoutuber ThatKaitoDan.

Aaah yes, ye ole Oscar’s plant-based semblance. That was one of the first headcanons I heard for Oscar’s semblance and it’s pretty much still a pretty popular one.

But if you’re asking me for my thoughts on this being Oscar’s semblance, I’m gonna be honest with ya fam. I never quite bought into that theory. I mean…Iget it. I get why many folks would jump on this theory bandwagon. Oscar’s semblance must be something Earth-elemental or plant-based because he’s our veteran precious freckled small farm boy, right? When I look at it through that lens, I can see why folks would like it.

However my reasoning for never truly hoping on-board with this theory is because, what do we know about semblances?

According to World of Remnant, by definition, one’s semblance is an extension of their aura into a more tangible form. Basically one’s semblance is a unique power associated with said individual. From what I understand, semblances are meant to represent who they are as a person since it’s more or less a projection of their very soul. Their very being.

Up until this point, you can pretty much say that everyone’s semblance is a reflection of their character and their personality.

This is why I’m not in favour of the plant manipulation theory. When I hear that as Oscar’s semblance, I automatically see the reason being because Oscar is a farm boy and as I said, I get it in that sense. However being a small farm boy from Mistral isn’t who Oscar is. I mean…yes it’s an integral part of his upbringing and past but it’s not representative of him as a person.

If Oscar was someone described to have a love for nature and be interested in plants then I can see that being his power. However, when I look back on Oscar’s story, part of it involved him desiring to be more than just a farmhand. He wanted to do more with his life than what he was raised to be.

So him, having a power that represents the lifestyle he grew up in that he secretly desired to move away from didn’t click with me. It’s no problem if you or anyone else are fans of this theory. That’s fine.

It’s just that I’ve always had a different idea…well ideas, on what Oscar’s semblance could be and none of them involved plants or Earth powers.

In the past, I pegged Oscar on having more of a mind-based semblance. Before, the only person with a mental semblance was Emerald and back in V5, I was hoping that Oscar would become another huntsman with a mind semblance. I was hoping that Oscar’s power would’ve been something along the lines of Telepathy—where he could connect to others through their minds and thus help heal them from within. I figured that could’ve been Oscar’s power since he strikes me as the type of individual who’s always willing to do what he can tohelp others. Despite still knowing very little about him after three seasons,if there is one thing I can card about Oscar as a person is his readiness to help even when he himself might be limited.

He’s always eager to lend a helping hand even when he might not have the right words or know what’s best to make. But he still tries. He will still make an attempt if it meant helping someone in someshape or form.

If I were to play Blake Belladonna and describe Oscar Pine in one word, it would be selfless.Not to make it sound bad or anything but Oscar seems to care very little abouthimself especially in the face of a danger. In the sense that he’s always more fervent to put himself before another. At the time when I made the telepathy theory, I perceived Oscar as the type of person with a knack for connecting with others on a deeper level. Back in V4, Ozpin voiced Oscar that he had the potential for greatness. That he had the aptitude to be the kind of person to give a helping hand when humanity needed it most. And ever since that season, I feel as if ‘helping hand’ is a trait that Oscar has almost come to live up to.

It is both noble and…somewhat problematic how very little Oscar seems to care about himself in the face of others. He wants to do the best he can, even within limits. In my eyes, I see Oscar as an individual whose desire to help and do more is infinite while he himself is often rather limited—whether it’s by his own experience as a huntsmen or his time as himself. He definitely seems like he wants to do more but there are chains that are keeping him from doing so…in a metaphorical sense.

Ultimately I wound up abandoning the telepathy theory for Oscar. Especially now when RWBY After the Fall revealed the CFVY member Fox has that power. Currently, one of my key theories for Oscar’s semblance is Nullification—disabling someone from using their semblance so that, in the event of a threat, they can no longer be a danger to themselves or others. I explained this theory best in its original musing post right here.

My second choice for Oscar’s semblance is Magic. I like the idea of Oscar’s true power being magic itself since it fits into so many things about him. From a fairy tale standpoint, it fits since Oscar draws inspiration from Princess Ozma—the rightful ruler of Oz and powerful magic-user. So it makes sense to me that Oscar becomes a powerful wizard with magic as his signature power.

Another reason why I like the idea of Oscar’s power being Magic is due to the point that I made about Oscar’s character. Oscar is someone who is selfless—willing to do whatever he can even within limitations. Imagine Oscar being forced into a scenario where he wants to do more but he can’t because there’s something stopping him. There’s always something stopping him. Always something holding him back.

So imagine if…in the past, Oscar always wanted to do more but was told he couldn’t for whatever reason. Maybe as a little boy, he was told he couldn’t do certain things other kids could because he was too small in size. Or perhaps as a teenager, he was told he couldn’t help the adults (like his parents) because he was too young. He was just a boy. A child and because of that, he’d only get in the way.

As a huntsman, he can’t help his team as much as he’d like to since he’s still tooinexperienced as a fighter. And the final crutch, he wants to help as much as he can as Oscar—he wants to keep fighting with his friends as Oscar but he’s limited by time since he’s not sure how much longer he has as Oscar.

There’s always something holding Oscar back from what he’s truly capable of doing. His weakness is that he is always limited by something withholding him from his true potential. So…perhaps Oscar’s semblance—his true power would be something that would grant him the unlimited power to do anything.

Currently, magic is a source of unlimited power in RWBY’s lore. Therefore, I believe it’s a power very suitable for Oscar to become a master of. I strongly believe that magic is destined to be Oscar’s hidden strength.

I don’t know if Magic could even be considered a semblance. Nonetheless, like I said, I think it can work for Oscar since it feels like a power he should have given who he is, who he’s destined to become and more specifically, who he was inspired by.

One’s semblance is their own individual power. An ability that is unique to them since it’s an extension of their aura—their very soul. Their very sense of self. So that being said, I’d like to toss out this new Oscar semblance theory.

What if…and this is a BIG IF…Oscar can’t have a semblance. 

What if…Oscar will never be able to unlock a semblance since his whole Man with Two Souls thing spiritually prevents him from unlocking a power that’sunique to him. 

Hear me out with this one, okay? Like I said, as person’s semblance, in the words of Nora Valkyrie, is their very own superpower. It’s a power unique to them (in most cases) since it’s meant to be an extension of their very soul.

This brings to light a question I wish to ask about the Wizards of Light. Did any of the Wizards before possess unique semblances of their own? One’s semblance is a power unique to them. So my question is, if a Wizard unlocked their own semblance during their lifetime, is their semblance then passed down to their successor upon death since a Wizard’s soul never dies, it’s just reborn in the body of the next candidate in the cycle. And then when that present Wizard unlocks their semblance, do they have control over that plus their predecessors’ semblance?

Is Oscar, as the current incarnate of Ozma, just sitting on a gold mine of powers waiting to be tapped into or…could it be my hunch where Oscar, and by extension, any Wizard of Light, can’t possess a semblance since a Wizard isn’t one soul.

A semblance is the power projected from one’s individual soul. However Oscar isn’t just one soul. He isn’t even two souls despite the key term. Oscar is part of a culmination of many different souls over lifetimes in one body. When I look at it from this perspective, I’m starting to wonder if it’ll be possible for Oscar to even have a ‘semblance’ at all given his ‘condition’.

What if…this might even provide another limitation for Oscar to dealwith.

Imagine…Oscar training and working so very, very hard to unlock hissemblance only for Ozpin (or perhaps someone who’s been studying his aura, like let’s say General Ironwood) to sort of drop the ball on himand say that he’s incapable of ever unlocking a semblance.

As I’ll reiterate again, semblances are an individual’s own unique power. Even in the case of family bloodlines (like the Schnees), this still applies since while blood is thicker than water, it’s not thicker than the soul; that makes a lick of sense. Even with shared semblances, individually, the Schnees are still their own people sharing in the power that their family was built upon and using itas they chose to use it. They may share a power. But they don’t share a soul.

This is the kicker with Oscar. He’s not just one individual. Sadly to say it but, Oscar, technically, isn’t …his own person. His soul is bound to another in a string of many other lives. I can see if being difficult for Oscar to have his own individual power when he’s not just one person. 

It’s not even a case like with the Schnees. He’s not inherited a power viablood. He’s sharing a body with another soul who is an embodiment of many.While I still think it’d be cool for Oscar to have a semblance, I’m going totoy around with the concept of what if he didn’t. 

What if…our precious small farm boy can’t have a semblance? He’s even worse than Jaune in that regards. With Jaune, it was more or less a mental block and waiting for the right trigger. With Oscar, imagine if he can’t do it at all because of the very thing that’s been his crutch from the get-go. Him being part of two souls. Him eventually merging with said soul and possibly disappearing during all of it.

Imagine…Oscar clinging to the hope of unlocking his very own semblance as a sign that there might be a small chance for him to still be his own person despite everything? If Oscar were to have his own power—a power that represents him. A power that is his and wasn’t something he inherited from another. If he had that then he would still be him.

Picture…Oscar clinging desperately to this goal as some sort of lifeline in a sense only to be told upfront that he’d never be able to have his own unique power since he isn’t his own person. He could never be his own person. Not anymore. Never again.

Can you imagine… Oscar, the boy who has been silently bottling up his emotions over the Merge, becoming hopeful about semblance training only to learn that…no matter how hard he tried. No matter how hard he worked or trained, nothing is going to change. He can’t stop it. He was never going to be able to run away from his fate. 

I don’t buy into Oscar fully accepting his fate with the Merge from V6 C9. I feel as if Oscar has become like how Ruby was back in V5. Indifferent and trying to act all brave to keep up appearances when in reality he isn’t truly fine with everything that’s happened to him and is going to happen to him. You cannot convince me for a millisecond that Oscar is 100% fine with the Merge.

I feel like Oscar’s run since V4 has been about him constantly convincing himself that accepting his fate was what he should do. It’s all he could do when there’s been that other side that’s been screaming the latter—the side he suppresses most of the time.

Nope. I think he’s bottling up his truefeelings and at some point, Oscar’s going to have another meltdown like in V5 C5. Probably even worse with more tears. Might even punch a wall in frustration…or SOMETHING with extreme anguish. 

Ozpin was allowed his tearful meltdown. I’m still patiently waiting on Oscar’s to happen cause you can somewhat feel it coming. 

Back in V5, Oscar was mostly scared about previously fighting in the Battle of Haven. So I could only imagine now what’s really going through his head (literally) regarding the whole idea of signing his body and life away to an entity whose been trying to stop an immortal threat for years and has failed multiple times. 

I feel like another epic meltdown is on the way for Oscar. An actual one this time, with tears and lots of wailing. A golden opportunity for Aaron Dismuke to give us his best emotional acting in the history of anime voice acting.

I’d actually be pretty disappointed if it doesn’t happen by now in V7 since; and I cannot stress this enough, Oscar needs to vent. It’s part of the reason why I’ve been dissatisfied with how the Writers just constantly portray Oscar with just being perfectly ok with everything that’s happened to him. 

I get that he’s a young, impressionable teenager made to have the maturity of an adult beyond his years but Jeez Louise on cheese, would it kill these guys to give Oscar some more depth and ACTUALLY delve into him as a person and character. I guess, only time will tell for V7 I suppose.

Resuming talk on semblances, if Oscar is revealed to have NO semblance, this is where I can see magic being his substitute for a semblance. When I think about it, Oscar doesn’t really need a semblance. As a matter of fact, there’s no unique power more fitting for Oscar to have than magic in my eyes.

If magic can be a semblance, then I’d pick magic to be Oscar’s true power. He’s meant to be a destined for greatness. So let him be that. Forget semblances all together for Oscar Pine! Let him use magic instead.

Let this small farm boy become the great and powerful wizard I know he’s meant to be. This is why I’m gunning for my theory of Oscar taking the Fall Maiden magic back from Cinder. Since the Maiden magic are connected to Oscar via his connection to Ozma—the original source of the power, I believehe might possess the power to take the Maiden magic back without having to killthe Maidens.

I’m banking on Cinder overpowering Oscar only for him to suddenly start revoking some of the Maiden magic into his body, empowering him.

Man, imagine if karma comes back to bite Cinder in the ass. Funnily enough, when Cinder had ambushed the original Fall Maiden with Emerald and Mercury, she ended up stealing some of her magic with a Grimm that left a nasty blemish across Amber’s right eye. Ironically, when Ruby first used her Silver Eyes on her, Cinder lost her eye on the same side. 

Now I’m picturing karma returning to chomp on Cinder again where, just as she blindsided Amber and stole some of her power—imagine Oscar blindsiding her and taking back some of Ozma’s magic.

Then imagine Oscar using that magic to defeat Cinder and similar to Amber, just as how she was made to kneel helplessly while Cinder stole her power—Cinder would be put in the same position as Oscar takes back what she stole. A power that was never meant to be hers in the first place. Isn’t that not what Cinder said to Pyrhha before she murdered her? Wouldn’ that be an interesting scene to see play out. 

So Oscar takes back the Fall Maiden powers and thus, becomes empowered with magic and finally unlocks his true potential. That’s my main theory.

Besides, if Oscar’s power is indeed magic then I can see Earth-themed magic being his preference. With the Maidens, they all seem to have a base element ofchoice. For Cinder, it was fire. For Raven, it was ice (even though she’s supposed to be the Spring Maiden?) so for Oscar, earth can his elementof choice as a wizard.  This in turn can play into yours and everyone’sfavourite Pinehead theory of Oscar becoming an earth bender of some kind.

I’ll only accept the plant powers for Oscar when it comes to his magical abilities. Those are my thoughts on that. Hope that answers you Dark. Sorry if I took so long in responding. Thanks for the inbox fam~

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)