Review: RWBY “Vault of the Spring Maiden”

PLOT TWIST.

Overview:

The battle continues, with Ruby unconscious and Weiss mortally wounded. Hazel realizes that Ozpin is Oscar and becomes furious, while Raven, Cinder, and Vernal descend into the vault.

Our Take:

Jaune finally activates his Semblance, which seems to be centered around either stabilization or healing. It’s fitting: he’s less of a fighter than he is a tactician, so he supports. He’s been so traumatized at losing Pyrrha that naturally, he’d want to save those he cares about somehow. A good payoff.

We also find out Hazel’s backstory, and it’s a lot less impactful than I expected. His was naturally going to be a softer one compared to the rest, considering he’s less reluctant to use violence, but it seemed almost flat, likely because we know nothing about this sister of his. This ties into the fact that we really don’t know much about Ozpin’s work over the years. This season we’ve been slowly realizing that he’s a lot more morally dubious than what was originally thought, and willing to do most things for the sake of the greater good. Unfortunately, we are running very low on details. While it’s not surprising that Ozpin would take the blame for sending Hazel’s sister to her death or put one of his subordinates in a life-threatening situation, the fact that there’s so little leadup to this makes it much less impactful. Unfortunately, that seems to be a large issue with this season.

The ending plot twist was really a great one. Cinder is out for more and wants to gain the powers of as many Maidens as possible. She kills Vernal, eager to get the power of the Spring Maiden, but Vernal’s power doesn’t transfer once she dies. It’s revealed that Raven is the true Spring Maiden, and she’s furious. If we know anything about Raven, it’s that she’s fiercely protective of her tribe, so she will show no mercy.

Really looking forward to a proper fight between two Maidens next episode!