Okay, here’s some RWBY meta that gets into a bit of dense music theory.
You know how Raven Branwen’s leitmotif is the “All things must die” melody? Well, that’s only part of it — the melodic portion. The harmonic portion is this chord sequence:
(It appears in multiple keys, but I gave it in C# minor since that’s the key it appears the most often in.)
The bass line to the motif outlines two tritones, between the first and second chords and the third and fourth chords — but these are separated by a semitone. (We’ll ignore the last chord for now, since it’s somewhat variable.)
Now, the tritone is the interval in the chromatic scale that is the furthest away from its root note (accounting for inversons). Additionally, two notes that are a tritone apart are on opposite sides of the circle of fifths, the furthest distance key-wise that it’s possible to be:
Except — the thing is that the relationship between the first and the third chords of the sequence is a very familiar tonal 1-to-4 (or auxiliary-dominant 5-to-1, depending on how you see it!) relationship; they’re neighbours on the circle of fifths (C# to F# in this case). And so are the second and fourth chords (G and C in this case). The dominant-to-tonic resolution between those chords is delayed in this case by another intervening chord…. but that intervening chord (despite its apparent distance from the first chord) only has to move down a semitone to become the resolution of the cadence.
Basically, it’s as if Raven always tries to run as far as she can away from her problems and her connections with others, but she always sort of sideslips into facing them again. She will always be connected those she cares for, through her portals, and as far as she runs away from them at any point (a tritone), she’s only one portal away (just a semitone!) from coming back to them again. This leitmotif, therefore, is a succinct musical expression of her fundamental narrative.
——
End note:
The mechanism by which this funky dominant-tonic resolution happens so cleanly is what is called (in the jazz world) tritone substitution. It works because the functional components (that is to say, the leading tones that resolve by a semitone) of dominant seventh chords a tritone apart are exactly the same (in 12-ET, anyway).
Hehe, even her leitmotif reads her for filth. This is an amazing little detail!
Huntsman. Uncle. Twin. And a self-titled “bad luck charm.”
I have so many feels over Qrow fucking Branwen.
Qrow’s semblance, revealed in Volume 4, is “bad luck.” Here’s what the RWBY Wiki has to say.
“Qrow’s Semblance brings misfortune wherever he goes, and unlike most Semblances, his is always active and uncontrollable. This leads to incidents as small as a glass being knocked onto the floor in “New Challengers” or as significant as a blocked attack chopping off the corner of a building in “Punished”. His Semblance can come to his advantage in a fight, such when Tyrian Callows falls through an old roof. His Semblance does not discriminate on who it affects, which causes him to keep his distance from the people he cares about.”
Qrow freaking Branwen.
Can you even beginto imagine what kind of hellthis man must live each day?
No, you really can’t. You really, really can’t.
You probably think, “Yeah, it would suck to have constant bad luck.”
Allow me to elaborate for you.
Imagine a young Qrow, perhaps part of a happy family, crying because his sister, Raven, tripped and hurt herself while they were playing. In the weeks following, Raven is more careful when she’s playing.
Imagine a slightly older Qrow, now in school, watching his close friends get into freak accidents and sustain random injuries. His friends are in the hospital or kept home, healing, more and more often.
Imagine tween Qrow, hearing that close family members are passing away suddenly and unexpectedly. His relatives don’t visit much, they’re all grieving.
Imagine teen Qrow, finding out that his first girlfriend was in an accident and is now on life support. When Qrow goes to visit, her life support shuts down and the doctors are too late.
Imagine 17-year-old Qrow, starting his life as a Hunter at Beacon. During the relic retrieval in the forest, he makes eye contact with Raven, just as a Grimm attacks. Qrow wheels Raven onto the stage in a wheelchair when Ozpin announces Team STRQ.
Imagine Qrow, now on Team STRQ, grow more and more reserved as his teammates experience troubling accidents and strange injuries. They ask Qrow what’s wrong. He says he’s fine. He starts wondering if he’s the one causing the accidents and injuries.
Imagine Qrow, doing research with Raven, having recently discovered their ability to transform into their respective bird namesake. Qrow learns that his bird form, a crow, is a symbol of bad luck. Something begins to grow in the back of his mind as the WiFI goes out and many students doing last minute homework are unable to finish. Instead of celebrating finding his supposed semblance, Qrow is lost in dark thought.
Imagine 20-year-old Qrow, graduated from Beacon, watching Taiyang and Raven date, and seeing the small accidents that endanger their relationship whenever he hangs out with them for too long. Qrow refuses to date. Summer wants to help her teammate. Qrow say’s everything’s fine. Depression begins to set in.
Imagine Qrow, beside Taiyang, each holding one of Raven’s hands as she goes into labor in the hospital. Nearly 18 hours later, Yang is born, and Raven is in a very dangerous condition. The doctors say they’ve never seen such a healthy pregnancy go so wrong at the very end. Qrow, with his new title of Uncle, excuses himself, and goes to the nearest bar.
Imagine Qrow, tears in his eyes, as Taiyang and Raven and Summer have the biggest fight in the history of Team STRQ’s fights. Yang plays with Qrow in the living room, calling him “Uncle.” The fight is broken up by Yang screaming in pain. Qrow doesn’t know how the TV fell, but the weight in his heart tells him that it was his fault. Raven and Taiyang make sure their daughter is alright while Summer tries to speak to Qrow as he makes an excuse to leave. He ends up at another bar. The bartender is starting to recognize him.
Imagine Qrow, hiding the scent of alcohol on his breath watching TV with Team STRQ and little Yang. He sits apart from them, and the weight in his heart grows when the news report. The local bar burned to the ground, most of the employees still inside. Qrow’s depression and want for a drink only grow.
Imagine Qrow, biting back tears as the fight from a few months ago comes to a front and ends with Raven walking out, Taiyang heartbroken, Summer in tears, and Qrow trying to comfort Yang while touching her as little as possible. All of them think that it’s their fault that Raven left, but Qrow knows the true blame resides with him.
Imagine Qrow, now without his twin and best friend. Summer and Taiyang find out about his growing reliance on alcohol, and they do their best to help him. He finally tells someone what he’s been feeling for so many years. He’s a bringer of bad luck. Summer and Tai are trying to reassure him as the power goes out, and Yang cries for hours. Qrow wishes for a drink and answers.
Imagine Qrow, as he goes on long hunting trips, and on one return discovers Taiyang and Summer have begun a relationship. He hesitantly agrees to be the best man at the wedding. Raven doesn’t show up, despite Summer reaching out to ask her to be the maid of honour. Several small mishaps occur at the wedding, but Qrow makes it through without a single drop of alcohol. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up. Maybe the hunting helps.
Imagine Qrow, hunting more and more, rushing back when he hears the news. He arrives a few minutes after Ruby Rose is born, beaming as he hears the pregnancy was quick and easy. No repeats of last time. Yang holds Ruby, already strong enough, and asks with wide lilac eyes if “Uncle Qrow” wants a turn. He can’t refuse, and takes the small bundle, wrapped in a red blanket. Qrow feels the weight in his heart, knows he should hand Ruby off before anything happens, but he doesn’t want to let the little bundle go. In several nearby rooms, doctors rush to save patients who are flatlining for no reason.
Imagine Qrow, uncle of two beautiful girls, turning down babysitting in favor of hunting. He notices a pattern as he kills Grimm after Grimm after Grimm. He finds them fighting each other, already wounded, and sleeping. During fights, Grimm stumble on thin air, wound fellow beasts, miss openings for attacks. Qrow uses his bird form more and more, but the question of his semblance hangs in the balance. Where does the bad luck come from, and why? When there’s no Grimm around to fight and Qrow is alone, the weather is always terrible.
Imagine Qrow, unable to do anything but drink after Summer dies. Taiyang would join him, but his two girls need him. Ruby and Yang ask for their uncle, but Qrow doesn’t want to be around anyone he cares about. It’s too risky. A car accident kills several people outside the bar. Qrow drinks into oblivion.
Imagine Qrow, still ridden with grief, helping Tai bury Summer. Raven doesn’t show up. Yang gets expelled from school for fighting. Ruby gets bullied after Yang is gone. Qrow drinks. Tai tries to cope. The bad luck continues.
Imagine Qrow, finally cracking under so much pressure. He goes to talk to Ozpin at Beacon, something Summer suggested several years ago. Ozpin has answers. Qrow’s semblance isn’t his bird form. Ozpin calls him “a strange case.” His semblance is always active, and it cannot be controlled. Qrow breaks down right there in Ozpin’s office. Ozpin offers to help, staring down at the remains of his favourite coffee mug.
Imagine Qrow, struggling to stay sober, teaching his first class at Signal, thanks to Ozpin’s good word. He’s every student’s favourite teacher. His classes are practical and hands on, and the students are heavily independent, since Qrow distances himself from nearly everyone. It gets harder once Ruby joins Yang at signal. The accidents stay at a minimum. Qrow feels like maybe he’s figuring this out.
Imagine Qrow, helping Ruby put the finishing touches on Crescent Rose. Ruby has already cut and bruised herself several times during the construction, but Qrow fears Ruby’s adoration and idolization more than the injuries. He needs to distance himself. He helps Yang with her motorcycle once she gets her permit. He really needs to distance himself, but he enjoys spending time with the girls. Ruby goes to the hospital when a dust cartridge explodes in Crescent Rose and Yang ends up in the bed next to her after getting in an accident on her first spin. Qrow swears never to be so selfish again. They could have died. Everything was his fault. Depression and alcoholism return. He quits at Signal, to the dismay of everyone.
Imagine Qrow, putting all of his time into hunting, honing his skills. His semblance is uncontrollable. The Grimm, attracted by the stench of negative emotion rolling off of the single Huntsman, soon discover this. He hunts several species of Grimm to near extinction in parts of Remnant. Taiyang sends the occasional update. Qrows notices that everything seems to be going smoothly, and that gives him a dark sense of satisfaction.
Imagine Qrow, in very recent events, hearing a glass shatter after being knocked over, getting Winter Schnee caught acting out line, and playing video games that the girls lose, despite having more experience. Small things. Nothing too big. He’ll take off soon and the bad luck will fade.
Now, remember. Qrow, watching Ironwood deal with prosthetic malfunctions, hearing reports of Amber getting worse. Hearing the news that Yang is disqualified. That Penny Polendina is dead. Grimm are attacking. The Fall Maiden’s powers are in the hands of the enemy. Amber, Penny, and Pyrrha Nikos are dead. Ironwood’s army is destroyed. The Grimm dragon is awake, but quickly frozen by Ruby’s silver eye powers. Ruby is in a coma. Yang is dragged to safety, bleeding to death, missing an arm. Her teammate is also badly wounded. Qrow watches Team RWBY get torn apart as Weiss Schnee is taken home by her father, Taiyang arrives to take Ruby and Yang, and Blake runs away. Ozpin is dead.
Qrow drowning in the belief that everything was his fault.
Remember Qrow following Team RNJR, keeping several miles between them, the horrifying memories of everything so fresh. He knows he can keep Ruby safe from a distance. But Tyrian attacks, and he’s nearly too late. He’s not exempt from his semblance. Far from it. Wounded. Too close to Team RNJR for their own good. Having to take more of their innocence and carefree lives by explaining what was happening. The quiet shame he hides as he reveals his semblance, not meeting Ruby’s eyes for fear that she will see him as a monster. Poison setting in. Unable to protect Ruby and her friends. Unconscious, but still causing bad luck.
Understand Qrow. Despite the terrible things his bad luck does to those around him, the bad luck affects him worst of all. Because he knows. He knows that it’s hissemblance, and he believes that it’s all his fault. And he can’t do anything to stop it.
