Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-35941743-20190304195312/@comment-14909251-20190626235140

Glitchee123z wrote:

And why is that, especially since Cinder has not shown a single sign of redemption potential?

I have said this before and I will say it again, Cinder has killed people and committed terrorism without remorse, and she is STILL the same evil bitch long after Volume 4.

Also, just what the hell do you mean? You’re saying that Cinder’s redemption is completely unnecessary and unexpected...and yet it should happen anyway? Just....ugh.

And this is made worse by the fact that, once again, Cinder has done literally nothing that would suggest a chance for redemption. Lots of successful and good stories, really the best stories, find a way to redeem villains even after they have gone past a point where people would consider them irredeemable. My whole explanation for this being necessary for RWBY is as I said: the whole point and theme of the story is undermined without something like that happening.

Unless one wants a more simplistically rigid and Saturday cartoon-style "good vs. evil" narrative to take hold where characters just punt on the whole issue at the core of the story, it has to happen. You can't bring humanity together by holding on to grievances and thirsting for vengeance. After all, that is literally what motivates the main villain. Unless one shows every person is capable of redemption, regardless of that person's actions, the story loses its purpose.

One part of this is helping people see the worldview of the villain and their vulnerability. We have no reason to believe Cinder is some emotionless killing machine. However, little of what we get has allowed us to understand why she would agree to be part of this as "power" is not an end in itself for anyone. Would be ridiculous of them to not delve into her backstory and motivations better and especially bad after what they pulled with Adam. Revealing such details is what can help move things down that path.