Qrow Branwen/Affiliation

Branwen Tribe
Qrow and his sister Raven were raised in a tribe of bandits that regularly attacked the outlying villages of Anima. Qrow sees them as killers and thieves and strongly opposes their "survival of the fittest" mantra. Qrow eventually disassociates himself from the tribe.

Beacon Academy
Qrow was a student at Beacon and graduated as a member of Team STRQ.

Team STRQ


Qrow was a member of Team STRQ. He reflects fondly on his time with the team, stating that they had quite a reputation and were the "coolest team ever to graduate Beacon."

Signal Academy
Qrow was a staff member at Signal Academy, later retiring when the situations worsened.

Ozpin's Group


Qrow is a member of Ozpin's inner circle, a group whose goal is the protection of the world. The group sends him on a key reconnaissance mission, risking his life to gather intelligence in the field for them. He sends the mysterious message "Queen has pawns" to the group members. He later returns from his mission with some information about their enemy.

After Ozpin goes missing, Qrow recovers his cane and continues his field mission of searching for intelligence about Salem's Faction.

In Mistral, Qrow becomes suspicious about Lionheart after their meeting at Haven Academy. However, he reunites with Ozpin through his new reincarnation, Oscar Pine.

Peter Port
Port was a Teacher's Assistant in at least one of Qrow's classes when Qrow started at the Academy. Qrow's behavior highly amused Port, particularly when Qrow unabashedly wore a skirt.

Bartholomew Oobleck
Oobleck expresses a familiarity with Qrow and Raven, though how they knew each other is not described.

Summer Rose
It is unclear what relationship the two had between each other, but both were teammates along with Raven and Taiyang. Also Qrow was aware of Summer's lineage as a Silver-Eyed Warrior.

Taiyang Xiao Long
Qrow was on the same team as Taiyang Xiao Long. As they are both known to be teachers at Signal Academy, they are colleagues at the school. However, the two appear to have a strained relationship, for when Qrow asks Taiyang to leave Ruby's room so he can talk to her alone in "End of the Beginning", her father fixes him with a glare before complying. According to the director's commentary, this one look sums up the philosophical differences between Qrow and Taiyang.



In "Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back", when the poison shows its effects, he mumbles about telling Taiyang that "she" is not coming back.

Raven Branwen


Raven is Qrow's twin sister and former teammate. In "Destiny", Qrow reveals to Yang that the only time he sees his estranged sister is when she has information or a message to relay, after which she disappears. Qrow further adds that he disagrees with her worldview and deems her dangerous.

The siblings meet onscreen in "Family" at a tavern in Higanbana, and the conversation shows their relationship borders on antagonistic. Raven sees him as a traitor for abandoning their "family," whereas Qrow sees his sister as a hypocrite for talking about family while ignoring her own daughter in Patch. Raven also condemns Qrow for believing in Ozpin, whom she has no faith in whatsoever.



In "The More the Merrier", after Qrow finds out Raven joined forces with Cinder, he no longer sees her as family. In "Haven's Fate", Qrow asks Yang about Raven's fate, but only receives a vague reply that she is gone. He does not question his niece further about his sister.

Ruby Rose
Ruby is Qrow's niece, though technically they are not biologically related. Qrow is responsible for teaching Ruby how to wield her weapon, Crescent Rose, as mentioned in "Ruby Rose". Ozpin deduces that Qrow was the source of Ruby's talent with such an uncommon and highly dangerous weapon, for he knows no other scythe-wielders of comparable skill.

At one point, Qrow saved Ruby and Yang's lives when the latter went searching for her mother and ran into a group of Grimm.



Qrow is close with his younger niece to the point where he kids around with her. In "It's Brawl in the Family," when Ruby gleefully asks him if he missed her, he replies with a teasing "Nope" before patting her on the head. When Ozpin calls Qrow to his office after his fight with Winter Schnee, he and Ruby share a fist-bump before he departs. In "Lessons Learned", the two of them play video games together as he enthralls her with stories of his missions as a Huntsman. Small aspects of Qrow's personality reflect on Ruby, though his demeanor is more cool-headed and nonchalant, as opposed to her bubbly hyperactivity.

He also gives valuable advice to Ruby, reminding her to keep learning and moving forward. He later informs Ruby of the legend of those with silver eyes, recalling that Ozpin remarked on the trait of hers when she first met him.



He discreetly follows Ruby and her new team during the several months of their journey to Haven. Without them noticing his presence, he secretly kills Grimm before they attack, making their journey easier. Later, Qrow reveals himself when Tyrian Callows attacks the group, and he simply smiles and greets his surprised niece with a simple "Hey". During the fight, Qrow repeatedly warns Ruby to stay back, but she does not listen, forcing him to save her from fallen debris. Tyrian wounds and poisons him as a result.

In "A Much Needed Talk", Ruby asks Qrow why he had followed Team RNJR discreetly instead of joining them. He replies that it is because of his Semblance of misfortune; he did not want it to harm his niece. The following morning, Qrow finds out Tyrian had poisoned him, much to Ruby's horror. Ruby and Jaune Arc carry him on a stretcher as they hope to scavenge for medicine in Kuroyuri.

In "No Safe Haven", after he is treated, Qrow recovers and jokingly tells Ruby that he is usually the one saving her, rather than the other way around.

However, not all of Qrow's traits endear him to his niece, such as when he returns home drunk in Mistral after celebrating finding Ozpin's latest incarnation, Oscar Pine. This shows that Qrow's alcoholism can be somewhat embarrassing to his niece.

Weiss Schnee
Weiss and Qrow first interact when he arrives at Beacon during the Vytal Festival. Weiss interprets his use of the name "Ice Queen" as directed to her, but he drunkenly pushes her aside. Weiss is disgusted and thinks of him as a "crazy guy".

They do not meet again until Weiss and Yang travel through one of Raven's portals to him, and they are on better terms. Qrow affirms everything Raven had told Weiss about magic and Ozpin's secrecy, and he leads her and the other Beacon students to defend Haven Academy.

Blake Belladonna
Blake and Qrow have not been seen interacting, but Qrow knows enough about Blake to call her "the emo one".

Yang Xiao Long
Yang is Qrow's maternal niece. At one point, he saved Yang and Ruby's lives when the former went searching for her mother and ran into a group of Grimm.

The two appear to be rather close, playing video games and having a teasing competitive edge. When Qrow shows Yang and Ruby a group photo of Team STRQ, he demonstrates an awareness of Yang's desire to find her mother, making an unsuccessful attempt to cover Raven's face.



He is shown to care deeply for her after she is accused of assaulting Mercury Black for no reason, cracking jokes in an attempt to lighten her mood and confirming it was Raven who saved her on the train. He encourages her to move on from the alleged assault, even offering information that might help her in locating her mother.

After the Fall of Beacon, Qrow promises Yang that he will watch over Ruby. When she comes to Mistral in "Known by its Song," he takes her and Weiss to Ruby. In "Rest and Resolutions", Qrow stops Yang from yelling at Ozpin, stating he and Raven wanted the power to turn into birds.



In "Haven's Fate", Qrow receives the Relic of Knowledge from Yang after the Battle of Haven. When Yang vaguely says that Raven is gone, he does not question his niece further and replies they are glad to see her safe and sound.

Ozpin
Qrow is part of Ozpin's inner circle, a very privileged position. Ozpin affectionately refers to him as "a dusty, old Qrow" in "Ruby Rose", and in "Lessons Learned", Qrow says that he and Ozpin are "cool" and "go way back". Ozpin also expresses familiarity with Qrow's ability as a scythe-wielder, referring to him as the only other wielder he knows matching Ruby's skill. Qrow seems extremely loyal to Ozpin and disregards those whom he perceives as betraying the headmaster.

In "Black and White", Qrow sends a message to Ozpin's Scroll that reads, "Queen has pawns", showing an ongoing collaboration between them regarding apparent threats. In "It's Brawl in the Family", when Qrow unexpectedly appears at Beacon, it is revealed that he was on a long-term reconnaissance mission for Ozpin, and he returns with pertinent information about their enemies' plans.

While Ozpin appears to be quite exasperated by Qrow's behavior and constant drunkenness, he still ultimately trusts his judgment and skills in the field.

After Ozpin goes missing in "End of the Beginning," Qrow decides to "pick up where he left off," possessing his cane as evidence of his choice.

Months later, in a Mistral bar at the end of "No Safe Haven", an uncertain youth approaches Qrow and asks for his cane back. Qrow is perplexed for a moment, but then complies, glad that Ozpin has returned. In "Rest and Resolutions", Qrow defends Ozpin from Yang's accusations.

In “True Colors”, Qrow and Ozpin show different attitudes toward their situation. Qrow quickly points out their disadvantage, while Ozpin tries to stay optimistic about Human potential. After Lionheart’s call, they share a deep suspicion of the Haven headmaster.

James Ironwood
General Ironwood shows concern over Qrow's warning in his conversation with Ozpin in "Welcome to Beacon", which prompted him to bring his fleet to Vale in hopes of preventing conflict in the Vytal Festival. However, this action only served to infuriate Qrow.

When Qrow appears in "It's Brawl in the Family", the two are shown to be on less than friendly terms as implied by Qrow's alcoholic habits. Qrow even proclaims that if he were one of Ironwood's men, he would shoot himself. Qrow reveals that he is in Ozpin's circle because the Beacon headmaster solely invited him, which suggests that Qrow was against the decision at the time. Qrow also criticizes Ironwood's heavy-handedness and lack of discretion in bringing his massive fleet to Vale.

Qrow has commented that he wonders if Ironwood has a heart. Nonetheless, Qrow saves Ironwood from a Griffon in "Heroes and Monsters", knowing the general is innocent of the carnage his by his automated forces cause. He shows his respect and loyalty by asking Ironwood for suggestions regarding their plan of action to deal with the invading Grimm, showing that while he may not respect his methods, Qrow does not completely hate him or view him as a threat.

Leonardo Lionheart
Qrow is initially frustrated with Lionheart, mostly for not contacting Ozpin in some time. His frustration grows with Lionheart's inability to assist him in rescuing the Spring Maiden from the Branwen Tribe, so much so that he heads for a local bar afterwards.

Later, in "True Colors", Lionheart contacts him about a "breakthrough" he has had in acquiring a small raiding party to help rescue the Maiden. However, in light of the result of their previous encounter, Qrow finds himself more suspicious of the Haven headmaster.



In "The More the Merrier", Qrow is revolted and enraged to find out Lionheart has been in league with Salem and was the one to send the Huntsmen of Mistral to their deaths. This betrayal visibly unsettles Qrow, causing him to abandon any and all sense of loyalty and camaraderie he once felt for Lionheart.

Jaune Arc
Qrow follows Jaune, who travels with Ruby, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. Once Qrow speaks with them, his conversation with Jaune is rough around the edges due to Pyrrha's attempt at becoming the Fall Maiden. Jaune also accuses Qrow of using Ruby as bait to draw out Tyrian. Despite Jaune's enmity toward Qrow due to Pyrrha, Jaune is the one to help Ruby carry him on a stretcher and puts getting him help first. During Team RNJR's battle against the Nuckelavee, Jaune carries Qrow to safety.

In "Welcome to Haven", Jaune's hostility towards Qrow has lessened to the point where they can have a casual conversation with each other. Qrow even mentions to Leonardo Lionheart that Team RNJR, Jaune included, are not pushovers. This at the very least indicates that Qrow has some respect for Jaune.

Nora Valkyrie
When Qrow hesitates to answer Team RNJR on why he had kept a distance when protecting them, Nora presses him as he had no problem telling them other stories. Qrow concedes her point and decides to open up about his Semblance, revealing that he knows Nora's as well.

Pyrrha Nikos
After watching her fight in the four-on-four round of the Vytal Festival tournament, Qrow openly states to Pyrrha that he believes that she gives more help to her teammates than they give to her. He supports Ozpin's decision to have her as the next Fall Maiden, and he is saddened when he confirms her death to Ruby.

Lie Ren
In part due to Ren's quiet nature, Qrow and Ren do not interact much beyond communicating when both fight Tyrian. Ren takes Qrow's stories seriously and decides what the group's best option is after listening to him.

Salem
Qrow, like other members of Ozpin's Group, is wholly aware of her existence. He mentions personally seeing some of her creations and states that "they are fear". Qrow is also aware of Salem's goals of dividing Humanity and obtaining the four Relics from the Huntsman academies.

Cinder Fall


When he witnessed Cinder stealing Amber's powers, he cut the transfer before Amber could be harmed further. During this event, he was unable to see Cinder's face because Emerald Sustrai used her Semblance to mask Cinder's identity.

Tyrian Callows


Qrow intervenes when Tyrian attempts to strike a fallen Ruby with his scorpion stinger. Qrow had not previously known him, but he quickly figures out that Salem sent Tyrian after Ruby. They have an evenly matched fight that results in Qrow getting wounded by Tyrian's stinger when he is distracted by the need to save Ruby. He soon discovers that Tyrian had poisoned him.

Winter Schnee


In "New Challengers...," it is implied that Qrow has an interest in confronting Winter, as well as in the Volume 3 Opening, where the two become agitated when in each other's presence. In "It's Brawl in the Family", it is revealed that this was provoked by Winter's affiliation with General Ironwood and the Atlesian Military, due to the latter's excessive security measures during the Vytal Festival. Qrow is quick to berate Winter on the matter, which quickly escalates into a physical altercation. Later, after persuading Ironwood to dismiss her from the conference held by the members of Ozpin's Group, he smiles and winks teasingly at her as she departs.

Amber


Qrow temporarily saved Amber's life when she was attacked by Cinder's Faction, severing the connection transferring Amber's Maiden powers to Cinder. As a member of Ozpin's Group, protecting Amber, along with the other Maidens, is but one of his duties.

Oscar Pine


As Ozpin's latest reincarnation, Oscar is by default one of Qrow's contemporaries and superiors in this inner circle. As Oscar takes advice from Ozpin's voice within him, he has a rather distant relationship with Qrow, the latter of whom celebrates his discovery of the Beacon Headmaster's latest reincarnation by becoming wildly drunk, much to Oscar's discomfort and embarrassment. The two appear to have a professional relationship, with Qrow being unfazed by Ozpin's occasional manifestations through Oscar. Aside from this, Oscar often relays information to Qrow on Ozpin's behalf, calling for meetings and important announcements to his unexpected subordinate.

When Hazel Rainart attacks Oscar in "Vault of the Spring Maiden", Qrow ends his fight with Raven and rushes to save the boy. In "Haven's Fate", Qrow advises Oscar not to strain himself as he is truly exhausted from the battle and catches him before his head can hit the floor when he passes out.

Shiro Wan
Shiro Wan is a Hunstman from the Kingdom of Mistral and an old friend of Qrow's as mentioned in "Known by its Song". Not much is known of their relationship, but Qrow states that "we go way back" and describes him as "a pretty alright guy."