Grimm


 * For the World of Remnant episode of the same name, see Grimm (WoR episode).

For as long as humanity can recall walking the surface of Remnant, so do they remember this wicked force.



Grimm, or the Creatures of Grimm, are the universal antagonists of RWBY, inhabiting various parts of Remnant.

They are described as "creatures of destruction" and lack a soul; hence, they are unable to use Aura. They are also drawn to feelings of negativity; such as envy, sadness, loneliness, and hatred; often congregating towards the source of these emotions.

At one point, ancient cultures believed that Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits, or were the spirits of once tortured animals.

History


The Grimm are said to have appeared soon after the dawn of mankind. They have targeted early Humans for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed, as Humans did not have the strength to fight them. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust; and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. This time will not last forever, however.

While Grimm are initially mindless and heedless of risk during their youths, to where they will simply attack any humans on sight, some Grimm are so powerful that they have survived to live for hundreds of years; and in that time they have evolved and learned from their experiences fighting humanity. In doing so, they have exhibited restraint and the patience to avoid taking unnecessary causalities in futile conflicts. Instead, they stay close to humanity's borders, waiting for the opportunity to come where they can finally strike; and thus mankind is in ever present danger, even in times of apparent peace. This was stated by Dr. Oobleck in the episode "Search and Destroy", when he tells Ruby on how intelligent some species, such as the Goliaths, have become over the years.

The Grimm have also, for many years, disrupted land-based travel and communications between Kingdoms, before the invention and production of the CCT towers eighty years ago, after the great war of Remnant.

Additionally, the Grimm appear to be the predominant species in the world of Remnant as humans and Faunus appear to be limited to four primary pocket settlements referred to as Kingdoms, which are guarded by Huntsmen; as well as several villages with mixed success. Attempts by the Kingdoms to expand beyond their borders are often met with resistance, and even failure, as the loss of an entire sector of the city of Vale overrun by the Grimm can attest to.

Biology


The origins of the Creatures of Grimm are unknown. Ancient human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits, or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time however, due in part to the discovery of even more horrific misshapen species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts (such as Creeps). With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions than answers.

Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age. They are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but making up for this with strength and savagery. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger, fear, etc.; and even congregate to areas that, although humanity has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.

This behavior will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the humans being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people of Remnant and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.

The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Nevermore ranging from the size of an average bird of prey to massive pterosaur-sized beasts after hundreds of years. Although Grimm have a more reckless nature during their youth, older Grimm who have managed to survive their battles have the tendency to learn from their experiences. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.

This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoiding unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose, to kill.

Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Humans and Faunus are the only races they attack on sight. Grimm can also choose not to eat and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. This also means that Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies (making do with replicas instead).

Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity (if they cannot kill their captors or escape first), implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing in itself.

Trivia

 * Grimm follow a color theme of red, white, black, and a little yellow.
 * These are all the colors of the four main characters.
 * The name for the creatures of Grimm may be a reference to the Brothers Grimm or Grimms' Fairy Tales, a famous classic collection of German fairy tales compiled by the brothers.
 * Additionally, the word Grimm is German for Fury.
 * When killed, some Grimm are known to emit smoke. This can clearly be seen in "The Emerald Forest", after Yang kills an Ursa, and later in "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2" after Weiss kills the Boarbatusk. This occurs again in "Search and Destroy", after the pack of Beowolves was killed. It is later confirmed in the RWBY: World of Remnant episode "Grimm" that Grimm dissolve when they die.
 * The White Fang wear Grimm Masks because humans tried to make monsters out of them, so they wear the faces of monsters as a symbol.
 * All of the Grimm creatures' vocal sound effects were done by William Orendorff.
 * The Grimm, and their various subspecies, appear to be either common knowledge or a subject taught in combat schools. This is evidenced by the cadet Huntsmen being able to identify and name the Ursa and the Death Stalker by sight.
 * In "Forever Fall, Pt.2", a Grimm silhouette is seen in the credits, being an Ursa, and the first time a character from the show has not been seen.
 * Cinder Fall was able to summon an unknown, Grimm-like insect from her glove.