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For the other uses of "Atlas", see Atlas.

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Atlas Academy, formerly known as Alsius,[1] was the Huntsman Academy of the former Kingdom of Atlas.[2][3] Unlike the other Kingdoms, the academy as an institution was not an entity separate from the Kingdom's government.[4]

The academy served as the headquarters for the Atlesian Military due to the Atlas Command Center being located underneath it. It was also the location of the original Cross Continental Transmit System tower.

The Headmaster of Atlas Academy was General James Ironwood, who was also a military commander before his death.

In "The Final Word", the academy was destroyed following Atlas' crash into Mantle.

History[]

Origins[]

Atlas 00016

Alsius, combat school of the Kingdom of Mantle

What would become Atlas was originally known as Alsius, a combat school in the Kingdom of Mantle.[5] The territory surrounding Alsius was used as a research and development facility during the Great War.

Alsius was later reopened under the name Atlas Academy, in order to house and give guidance to warriors after the conclusion of the Great War. The campus was greatly expanded with the technologies developed during the war, helping to better secure the surrounding territories. As a result, Atlas grew quickly and attracted many to the area surrounding it, including research facilities, laboratories, the original CCTS tower and the military. In time, residential areas also started flocking to Atlas.

It eventually became clear that Atlas had become a bustling city in its own right and overshadowed the main city of Mantle. The decision was thus made to move the capital from Mantle to Atlas, ushering in a "golden age of prosperity". The Kingdom as a whole was also accordingly renamed to Atlas and became renowned for housing the world's most well-funded academy and its most powerful military force. During recent times, the government of Atlas and the academy existed together as a single entity, along with the military.[4]

In the years following, the academy had come under criticism for the imposition of military lifestyle on its students. Graduates and trainees were also pressured to enlist in the Atlesian Military's Special Operatives unit, a practice that ran contrary to the academy founders' initial intentions for Huntsmen to be free from allegiance to a specific Kingdom.

Present Day[]

By the present day, 80 years after the end of the Great War, the Headmaster of Atlas Academy was General Ironwood, who was also a senior officer in the military. At some point, Winter Schnee likely attended the school, presumably joining the military's Special Operatives unit after graduating.

Students from Atlas competed in the 40th Vytal Festival combat tournament, held in Vale. Teams known to be participating included Team FNKI and Penny's Team.

Around the time Ruby's Group arrived on campus, Penny Polendina was the employee of the month for the academy's staff, gaining the recognition for her hard work.

After arriving in Atlas and agreeing to help Ironwood launch Amity Communications Tower in the atmosphere while working as Huntsmen for the military, Team RWBY, Team JNR and Oscar Pine were given a dorm per team, with Oscar staying with Team JNR, and allowed access to Atlas Academy faculties such as the training room. During some of their spare time, Team JNR along with Oscar trained with Team FNKI in the Academy's training room.

Following Penny being framed for murder by Tyrian Callows, the Happy Huntresses became vigilantes, with their actions causing the Amity Project to be stalled. Ironwood was upset over the situation and was contemplating going with Winter's suggestion of declaring martial law before he was talked down from it.

Once the Battle of Mantle began, Winter was shown to be evacuating the students from the Academy. Later, Cinder Fall planted a Black Queen chess piece in Ironwood's office, causing him to think he had played into Salem's hands. After confronting Ruby's Group over lying to him along with telling Robyn Hill about Ironwood's plans, a Seer appears and shows a manifestation of Salem who informs everyone present about her coming to Atlas herself.

After Ironwood learns this, he decided to change his plan to raising Atlas out of Salem's reach by using the Relic of Creation and declared martial law. When Ruby's Group realized that his plan would leave the citizens to die, they refuse to help him and Ruby Rose warns their other allies about this. Ironwood cuts off Ruby's warning before she can fully finish and orders the Ace Operatives to arrest them.

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Team RWBY are forced to fight against the Ace-Ops

Team RWBY managed to defeat the Ace-Ops and were later found by Maria Calavera and Pietro Polendina. Team JNR and Oscar attempt to escape the Academy while being pursued by Atlas Soldiers and Neopolitan who later steals the Relic of Knowledge from them. Lie Ren regrets losing the Relic as they are forced to escape without it and Oscar who tries to stop Ironwood. All members of the group escape the Academy with Penny as she became the next Winter Maiden.

Following Monstra's destruction, Ironwood gave the group an ultimatum to return Penny to him within an hour or else he will destroy Mantle using a bomb. When they agree, he tells them to send Penny to the front of the Academy alone. Although it seems she does this, Emerald Sustrai revealed it to be an illusion made by her Semblance and disarmed Ironwood of his cannon. Team JNR alongside Winter, who helps them due to losing faith in Ironwood, manage to defeat him and restrain him in a cell next to Jacques Schnee.

When the Evacuation Central Location was created across Atlas, people were evacuated into Vacuo. Several students wearing Atlas Uniforms are seen in the dimension.

After Atlas crashed into Mantle in "The Final Word", the academy was destroyed when both cities were flooded.

Description[]

Uniform[]

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Students from Atlas attending Ozpin's speech

The dress code at Atlas consisted of white long-sleeved shirts with gray pocket-vest jackets on top. These were accompanied by a pair of white dress gloves and a dark-gray tie. Male students wore long white trousers, while female students wore gray stockings and knee-high black boots.

In Volume 7, students wore a black beret as part of their uniform.

Pajamas[]

Additionally, Atlas provided students and Huntsmen with sets of pajamas, as seen in "Sparks". These consisted of white shirts with a gray emblem of the Academy in the center, as well as black, white, and gray sweatpants.

Location[]

Worst Case Scenario James looks down at Atlas

James Ironwood looking down at Atlas

Atlas Academy sat on a mountain as the highest point in the center of the City of Atlas. James Ironwood's office was able to overlook the entire city. The Academy was situated right behind the "Donut", allowing Ironwood to see down below the floating island.

Campus[]

Layout[]

The Academy was built as five enormous towers: one large central tower and four side towers of varying heights surrounding the main building. The large central tower was the original CCTS tower that was created. Each of the side towers had a pair of Hard-Light Dust rings surrounding them, and a glass viewing platform at the top of the tower. Due to its extensive use of Hard-Light Dust, Atlas had a blue tint to a seemingly dark building at night and was shown to be silver during the day.[6]

Ironwood's Office[]

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Ironwood's office

Ironwood's office was a circular room featuring dark blue metallic walls and windows which can fade to become opaque. The floors of Ironwood's office were shown to depict constellations in the form of golden stars, reflecting Ironwood's love for astronomy. [7]

In the center of the room was a holographic projection table that was hidden under the floor when not in use. In "Ultimatum", it was destroyed by Ironwood following multiple setbacks in retrieving Penny Polendina.

During the semester, Ironwood would allow students to book 15-minute conferences directly with him through Stephanie Santiago, who was presumably his secretary.

Hallways[]

Atlas-cafe

Atlas cafeteria

Long hallways lined the Academy. They had cold white and gray walls and floors and dark gray pillars. They were repetitive making them easy to get lost in. Blue lights resembling torches. In emergencies the hallways lights turned red.

Cafeteria[]

Atlas' cafeteria had large glass windows pointed towards the city surrounding the Academy. Inside, two long tables were set to the sides of the room, with various Atlas banners hanging overhead.

Barracks[]

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Team RWBY's Dorm

All the dorms, referred to as barracks by the academy, appeared to be co-ed dorms, with males and females having slept in the same room. This allowed all members of a team to share the same living area, regardless of differing genders. The beds were four bunk beds built into the wall with a ladder in the middle allowing access to the upper two beds. Along the other side of the wall were four small desks and chairs for each member of the team to study or do other paperwork on.

Huntsmen Briefing Room[]

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The Huntsmen Briefing Room

The Briefing Room is where Atlesian Huntsmen received their mission assignments. The room had a podium and rows of seats arranged in a semi-circle around a table of CCT terminals. Atlas Huntsman job boards were situated along the walls. Behind the podium was a screen for detailing mission information.

Training Room[]

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The training room during a training session

The training room is where students of Atlas Academy, as well as Atlesian Huntsman, came to train and hone their skills in combat. The Training Room was a giant empty square room with a light blue grid of Hard-Light Dust on the floor. The grid could generate and stack numerous Hard-Light blocks to create walls, platforms, and cover.[8] The room was able to create several different layouts using these blocks allowing versatility in training for different scenarios. The blocks could be destroyed from heavy impact by a weapon or Semblance, however, the room appeared to not have a limit on how many blocks it can generate or replace. Up high at the end of the room was an observation deck allowing staff, other students or Huntsmen to watch ongoing training sessions.

Docking Bay[]

Situated just outside the Main Hall, the Docking Bay featured four landing pads. A flight of stairs leads from the pad level to the main entrance of the Hall.

Rear Gates[]

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Winter Schnee in Atlas' rear gates

The rear side of Atlas Academy contained large pillars around the main building's wall, with various statues of soldiers carrying halberds standing guard in between the entrance gates.

Above the gates was a large, glass window in the shape of an arrow pointed downwards, casting a red shadow onto the courtyard below.

In addition to the emblem of the Academy, various constellation designs lit by Hard-Light Dust outlined the building's roof, giving Atlas Academy's walls a blue lighting to it.[9]

Library[]

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The Library

Amongst the institution, Atlas Academy had a massive library with expansive hallways filled with bookshelves. Near the shelves, tables were shown to have set up Hard-Light Dust projectors for studies. The pillars of the library were aligned with hooded statues.

The library itself was never shown in the show, only seen in released concept art.

Atriums[]

According to background detail, Atlas held several atriums in its campus, allowing for students to gather in mass events.

The Vault[]

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The Vault

Main article: Atlas Vault

Like the other Huntsmen Academies, Atlas contained a hidden Vault. It housed the Relic of Creation and the door could only be opened by the Winter Maiden, who is currently Winter Schnee. The Vault was located deep below Atlas Academy and accessible by the elevator near Ironwood's office.

Staff and Military Personnel[]

Former[]

  • General James Ironwood † - Former Headmaster of Atlas Academy. Later died during the Fall of Atlas.
  • Winter Schnee - Implied to be a graduate of Atlas Academy. Former Atlesian Special Operative.
  • Ace Operatives - Former Special Operatives.
  • Penny Polendina † - Participated in the Vytal Festival, representing the Kingdom of Atlas, but it wasn't known if she was an actual student of the academy. Former Atlesian Special Operative and academy employee.
  • Stephanie Santiago - Implied to have been Ironwood's secretary.

Known Students[]

  • Ciel Soleil - Penny's former teammate who also participated in the Vytal Festival.
  • Flynt Coal - A member of Team FNKI and a participant in the Vytal Festival, later drafted into the Atlas Military during the Battle of Atlas.
  • Neon Katt - A member of Team FNKI and a participant in the Vytal Festival, later drafted into the Atlas Military during the Battle of Atlas.
  • Kobalt - A member of Team FNKI, later drafted into the Atlas Military during the Battle of Atlas.
  • Ivori - A member of Team FNKI, later drafted into the Atlas Military during the Battle of Atlas.
  • Vega Bleu - A graduate of Pharos Academy.

Graduates[]

Trivia[]

  • Atlas Academy is named after the Greek Titan Atlas, who is said to have held up the pillar between the heavens and the earth as punishment for his actions in the Titanomachy. This suggests a motif of protectors and bearers of responsibility.
    • Its name is notable in that it is a less direct, non-definitional reference to protection, differing from the names of its peers, Beacon, Haven, and Shade.
    • Its name also brings to mind atlases, large books of maps, suggesting a motif of guidance and unity. This is appropriate, as Qrow Branwen states in the World of Remnant episode "Atlas" that it was originally founded to give guidance to warriors after the Great War.
    • Alsius, the original name of the Academy before and during the Great War, comes from the Latin alsius, meaning "cold" or "liable to injury from cold".
  • According to Chapter 3 of the manga, Weiss Schnee was originally supposed to attend Atlas Academy at her father's behest. However, she instead decided to attend Beacon Academy in Vale, in order to put distance between her and her controlling father. This is also hinted at in the episode "Lessons Learned".
  • Atlas Academy's architecture uses a blend of art deco and neo-classical elements with fantasy/science fiction. [10]
  • While the library did not make a physical debut in the show, it was seen in a painting at Schnee Manor in "Cordially Invited", and fully displayed in concept art.
  • Ironwood's office and the rooms outside of it were designed knowing that the fight between Team RWBY and the Ace Ops was going to happen.[11]
  • The school would offer competitions for students to be recognized for hard work.


Image Gallery[]

Official Graphics[]

References[]

Locations
Minor Locations
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