Talk:Raven Branwen/@comment-34700606-20180216021458/@comment-4141313-20180221122954

The issue is not a matter of having a family, as they both already had one in the tribe. The issue that differentiates Qrow and Raven is Loyalty. Both Qrow and Raven have some manner of Loyalty, though it isn't to each other. Qrow's Loyalty was initially for the Tribe, but after meeting Ozpin and learning what the world really is, it shifted to him. Raven's loyalty has always been for the Tribe, and whereas Qrow learning about the world inspired him to step up, Raven's fear of the truth caused her to try and hide in ignorance by returning to the tribe.

Technically, Raven's loyalty is stronger than Qrow's, as she remained loyal to the tribe to the end while Qrow abandoned it under the pretense of it being a bunch of Murderer's and Thieves in favor of a new loyalty. I'm not saying Qrow's decision was the wrong one, I'm saying it's a matter of perspective. To use another media example, I give you Jeremiah Gottwold of Code Geass. Jeremiah's loyalty was always to Lady Marianne, and by proxy, Lelouch and Nunnally. So when he learned Lelouch was alive, acting as Zero, and aiming to avenge Marianne, he joined Lelouch. The Britannian's saw him as a traitor, but he maintained he was following his Loyalty. Raven is Jeremiah in this case, her loyalty was always to the Tribe, and she only worked with Ozpin for a time to aid in that loyalty. So when she returned to the Tribe, she was still maintaining her Loyalty.

From Qrow's Perspective, Raven was running away from the bigger fight and focusing on herself while abandoning Tai and Yang. From Raven's perspective, Qrow was abandoning the group that raised them and fighting an unwinnable battle, and was foolishing giving his life to an unreachable goal. Qrow focused on the larger picture (The World), Raven focused on the smaller picture (Her Tribe). Neither is the wrong decision. Qrow's is the more altruistic one, putting his life on the line for the world, which naturally seems "Good". Raven's is the more self-centered one, focused on defending only herself and her immediate group, which naturally seems "Evil". But it isn't black and white. To survive, you need to be selfish sometimes, whereas Altruism can get you killed. Neither is good, neither is evil. Its a matter of selflessness over selfishness.

We can't even use Yang and Tai as an argument over her having less reasons to leave, as Qrow too formed bonds while there, such as STRQ, Ozpin, and later Ironwood and Glynda. And even with leaving Tai and Yang, its a matter of which is the more important priority. Taiyang was a teammate for 4 years, and a romantic partner for assumedly 1-2 years, and Yang was a Newborn Baby. The Tribe was her family for over 20 years, and the entire reason she went to Beacon.

So its a matter of staying with a family she just made over returning to the family she'd had much longer. And as she's made clear, even after leaving, she still kept tabs on them. She put on an apathethic front, but she clearly did still care for them as her Semblance indicated. Hence my confusion in why she gestated Yang to begin with, leading me to believe it was either a drunken one night stand, a broken condom, or ultimately having to fulfill duty over desire.

She is by no means evil. Antagonistic, yes, but Evil, no. Survival is not evil, and her goals, while shortsighted and often poorly thought out, were to allow her tribes survival. Yang was right in that Power isn't strength, but Raven did have one form of Strength: The Strength to stand by her decisions. Every choice she made, regardless of whether or not it was a bad one, she stands by. The closest hint of regret was her apologizing to Yang, but she still stood by her desire not to be involved. Again, her shortsightedness meant she ended up involved anyway, but that is neither here nor there.