Hazel Rainart

Hazel Rainart is an antagonist in RWBY who was introduced in "The Next Step". He is an associate of Salem and part of her inner circle.

Appearance
Hazel is a tall and muscular middle-aged man. As well as being unusually large and broad, he is shown to tower over Adam Taurus who stands 6'4". He has short brown hair, a beard and hazel eyes.

He wears a two-tone olive green coat over a black 3/4 sleeve shirt, and a large belt. His pants are black, and his boots are brown with white fronts. His hairy arms appear to have some scars near the edges of his sleeves.

Personality
Hazel has a calm composure compared to the others of Salem's circle. He is reserved and rarely speaks. However, he still criticizes Cinder for her defeat. He has a low tolerance for acceptance of failure, and he does not let minor obstacles get in his way or stand by convention when there is a goal to be accomplished.

During the meeting with Sienna Khan, Hazel is courteous toward her, showing he has a respectful nature. However, he is not intimidated by Sienna's threats, showing a distinct level of self-confidence.

Despite his low tolerance for failure, Hazel is not cruel or unsympathetic. His reaction to Sienna's murder by Adam Taurus is a saddened look and verbal expression of both his frustration at Adam's lack of communication prior to the act and disappointment at how unnecessary the death was. This shows that, despite his allegiance to Salem, he has a certain degree of empathy and morality. Unlike his psychotic colleague, Tyrian Callows, Hazel takes no pleasure in casual slaughter, indicating there must be a higher purpose in violence for him to engage in it.

However, this changes when he encounters Ozpin. When he does, Hazel becomes filled with rage and killing intent. He holds Ozpin responsible for the death of his sister Gretchen Rainart and is determined to kill every reincarnation of him. This shows that despite his typical reluctance to fight, he is quite capable of vengeance and terrifying bouts of rage.

Powers and Abilities
Hazel is an incredibly strong fighter who prefers to fight with his bare hands.

Hazel has been shown to be able to take hits from Nora's Magnhild with no discernible effort while simultaneously contending with Ren, displaying no issue with multiple opponents.

When Hazel deems the situation appropriate, he is able to infuse himself with raw Lightning Dust crystals. After Hazel infuses himself, the veins in his arms glow, his eyes shine, his voice becomes distorted and he is able to discharge electricity from his entire body to enhance his attacks. Despite Hazel's massive frame and staggering physical might, he is quite agile in combat, able to move quickly and precisely without any noticeable effort, as well as land multiple solid hits on even a remarkably fast opponent like Qrow Branwen.

He is also able to cause a machine to dispense a train ticket by pounding it with his bare arm, leaving a dent.

Trivia

 * Hazel can refer to a color, usually in relation to eyes. Hazel eyes often appear to shift in color from a brown/gold to a green. Hazel is also genus of nut-bearing trees and shrubs.
 * Rainart is a name of Old German origin and can translate as either "Brave Counsel" or "Strong Judgement".