Yang Xiao Long/History

Background
Yang is depicted to have an extensive past with Ruby Rose, her younger half-sister and close friend. Ruby mentions that Yang used to read bedtime stories to her when they were young.

Yang was raised alongside Ruby on the island of Patch, off the west coast of Vale. Their father was a Huntsman who taught at Signal Academy and a former member of a team consisting of Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen and Raven Branwen - the last of whom disappeared shortly after her birth. Following this, Yang's father became romantically involved with Summer, who took the role of Yang's surrogate mother and gave her a sister two years later in Ruby.

However, Summer would frequently embark on Huntress missions all over the kingdoms, and early in Yang's childhood she was killed during one. Yang's father, distraught at losing yet another love, suffered an emotional breakdown. It was then that Yang found out Summer Rose wasn't her biological mother, and that the woman (Raven) who gave birth to her had also abandoned her shortly thereafter. Motivated to find out why her mother left her, Yang attempted to follow up on what she thought was a clue to her whereabouts, and one day, she waited until her father left the house and traveled to that location herself, wheeling Ruby in a wagon and walking until she was bruised and tired.

Upon arriving at the building, Yang and Ruby were attacked and almost killed by three Beowolves; their uncle, Qrow, thankfully appeared just in time to save them. Yang was ashamed of her stubborn, brash actions, aware that she had almost gotten her younger sister killed, and resolved to continue searching for her mother while helping raise Ruby, but also to not allow that search to consume her.

"Yellow" Trailer
Years later, a 17-year-old Yang heads to a nightclub searching for clues about her mother and confronts the proprietor, a man named Junior Xiong, who has a reputation for "knowing everything". She shows him a picture and attempts to coerce the information out of him, but he says he doesn't know. Yang is then surrounded by henchmen from the club and backs off.

As she walks away from the bar with Junior she begins flirting and offers to give him a kiss, but punches him in the face instead.

The henchmen then descend upon her and she attacks and incapacitates all of them. She then comes under attack from the DJ above who is firing at her with a machine gun. After knocking him down to the club floor, two girls, Melanie and Miltia Malachite, jump in to fight her. Despite some difficulty she manages to defeat each of the girls.

By then, Junior recovers from Yang's punch and returns with his bazooka before firing several rockets at her. Yang manages to stop the rounds, but Junior then changes the bazooka into a bat and begins attacking her with it.

She finally uses Ember Celica to destroy much of the club and knock Junior out a window. Outside she runs into Ruby, who is surprised to see her there.

Manga
Yang is seen with Team RWBY in the Beacon Academy food halls talking about the nature and uses of Dust, before they are interrupted by Cardin Winchester throwing Jaune Arc into their table, sending it flying.

Yang is later seen with the rest of Team RWBY watching Ruby fighting against Cardin in a sparring match, before she forgot mentioning Ruby's fear of large crowds.

Welcome to Beacon
Yang is first seen greeting Ruby on the airship to Beacon Academy, displaying her excitement that her "little sis" will be attending the same school as her. She teases and then consoles Ruby when the latter displays her nervousness and even unhappiness that she might be treated as someone "special" at their new school.

Yang shows concern for Ruby's apparent lack of social skills, and manages to create an opportunity to let Ruby learn on her own by dashing off with her friends, leaving Ruby alone (who falls down on Weiss Schnee's luggage).

Yang reappears inside the auditorium of Beacon Academy where the students have gathered, and waves Ruby over beside her. She asks Ruby about her day so far, who responds by recounting the trouble she got into involving Weiss and Blake Belladonna. Yang at first thinks Ruby is joking, but realizes her little sister is telling the truth when Weiss comes up and starts berating Ruby again.

She tries to play the easygoing mediator between the two, but with no success. Their heated conversation is interrupted when Professor Ozpin starts with his welcoming speech, and Yang shows some vague exasperation when Ozpin mentions that they are still nothing compared to the world they will enter. She mentions directly afterwards that Ozpin seemed "kind of off".



Later, when all the new students are preparing to go to sleep, Yang crashes next to Ruby and asks her about the letter she is writing. The two have a conversation where Ruby once again brings up her unhappiness at having to join the school without knowing anyone, but Yang tells her that there are plenty of friends at Beacon whom just hasn't met yet (after teasing her about Weiss being an enemy rather than a "negative friend").

Yang drags Ruby over to where Blake is reading a book, and attempts to engage the two in a conversation. At first, Blake's aloof unsocial character causes the conversation to die multiple times and Ruby and Yang awkwardly try to pick it back up every time it happens, but after Yang proclaims that Blake is a "lost cause" Ruby inquires about the book Blake is reading, which starts what appears to be a genuine exchange between the two.

However, Yang butts in and tells Ruby about how she is proud of her (for starting a conversation and expressing her dreams to be a protector of the peaceful world they live in so other people may enjoy it) and picks Ruby up, which annoys the latter and causes a brief fight between the two, until Weiss storms up and interrupts them again.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Ruby Rose"
 * "The Shining Beacon"
 * "The Shining Beacon, Pt.2"

Beacon Academy Initiation


Yang talks to Ruby while they are getting prepared for their initiation about what she will do about teams. When Ruby suggests that she would just join Yang's team, Yang insists her little sister should be more outgoing and find a team of her own. She and Ruby then talk to Jaune who was put down coldly by Weiss, having had Pyrrha Nikos throw her spear at him.

Yang remarks that he probably shouldn't have referred to Weiss as "Snow Angel" and the three of them then head to Beacon Cliff for initiation. After Ozpin tells them about their initiation and how they will form teams, Yang is launched into the Emerald Forest with the other students.

Yang is seen literally flying through the trees with a pair of aviators on, thoroughly enjoying the experience and extending it by using the kinetic energy from shots from her shotgun gauntlets to keep moving. After bouncing through the trees, Yang nails her landing and takes off. Shortly after when Ruby lands, she instantly starts looking for Yang in the hopes of making Yang her partner.

While walking through the woods, Yang starts to become bored after not finding anyone. When she hears a rustle in the bushes, she wonders if it is Ruby, but is instead attacked by two Ursai. She dodges their attacks and almost seems to be playing with them, until she notices that a small strand of her hair was cut off. Yang goes into a rage at this and punches one of the Ursa with a flurry of punches, sending it flying into several trees. She goes to confront the other bear, but it is quickly killed by Blake in a single strike. The two smile at each other and Yang claims that she could have taken it.



Yang and Blake arrive at the temple. As they approach it, they make note of that the relics are chess pieces and that some relics are missing, which suggests that they aren't the first to arrive. After Blake and Yang examine the chess pieces, Yang chooses a yellow knight because it looks like a "cute little pony". When the two are about to leave the temple, they hear what sounds like a girl's scream. Yang asks Blake what they should do but she seems distracted by something above them; as Yang tries to get Blake's attention, Ruby suddenly falls from the sky.

Yang is seen asking Blake on what they should do, which continues from the previous episode in reference to Jaune's girl scream. After seeing Ruby fall, she is left confused by the later turn of events, such as Nora Valkyrie riding on an Ursa, and when Pyrrha is running away from a Death Stalker, which chased her from from its cave.

Shortly after she tries to give her sister Ruby a hug, but is interrupted by Nora. When Ruby decides to attack the Deathstalker, she fails and is forced to run away. Yang rushes to her aid but is unable to after the Nevermore keeps them separate with a barrage of feathers. After Weiss saves Ruby, Yang hugs Ruby in delight knowing she is safe.

Once Ruby and Jaune choose their chess pieces, Ruby leads both teams away as Yang smiles seeing that her sister is becoming what she knew she would. When Blake asks what is wrong, she implies it is nothing, but Blake seems to already know. Both teams are then split and each faces the Grimm species separately as Team JNPR faces the Death Stalker and Team RWBY faces the Nevermore.

After a series of attacks prove unsuccessful, Ruby makes up a plan to beat the large bird. After helping Blake make a slingshot, which launches Ruby into the air with the help of Weiss' seal. Yang watches in amazement as Ruby slays the Nevermore. She is later made an official member of Team RWBY, and hugs her sister in joy when Ruby is made leader.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "The First Step"
 * "The First Step, Pt.2"
 * "The Emerald Forest"
 * "The Emerald Forest, Pt.2"
 * "Players and Pieces"

Start of Class


After rooming with her team, Yang wakes up with a joyful approach. She states that they need to decorate their room. She is seen placing a poster about a certain boy band named The Achieve Men. When Ruby is suggesting they make bunk beds, Yang agrees along with Blake, while Weiss seems to be annoyed by the fact.

She later attends class, where she seems to have no interest, and seems to be weirded out by one of Professor Peter's gestures.

As Weiss faces down the released Boarbatusk, Yang cheers her teammate on along with Blake and Ruby. Later that night, she is seen asleep in her bunk bed above Blake.

Yang is seen eating lunch with her team alongside Team JNPR, where she seems to be the only one interested interested in Nora's story. She later comments that it must be hard being a Faunus after seeing Cardin and the rest of Team CRDL teasing Velvet Scarlatina, a girl with rabbit ears.

Yang is briefly seen with her sister in the Forever Fall forest. She is later seen gathering sap for Professor Peach.

When Ruby points out the Ursa's growl in the distance, Russel Thrush shouts out that the Ursa is attacking Cardin. She then quickly grabs Russel and demands the Ursa's whereabouts. Once she releases Russel, she and Blake go to find Glynda Goodwitch while Ruby, Pyrrha, and Weiss make their way to Jaune and Cardin.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "The Badge and The Burden"
 * "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2"
 * "Jaunedice"
 * "Forever Fall"
 * "Forever Fall, Pt.2"

Team Divided
Yang is seen with her team walking the streets of Vale. While Weiss joyfully explains the events of the upcoming festival, Yang remarks on how she knows how to make good thing sound boring. Later, the team stumbles across a crime scene at a local Dust Store, which she says is terrible. Right after Weiss and Blake start a discussion on the White Fang, Weiss comments on how the White Fang know only how to lie, cheat and steal, Yang responds with it not being entirely true.

Soon afterwards, the team chases a fleeing Faunus, much to Weiss demands. After bumping into a girl named Penny Polendina, the team leaves, only to have her appearing instantly in front of them. After believing she heard Yang call her weird, Penny goes directly Ruby asking her if she was her friend.



Much against Weiss, Yang, and Blake's gestures, she says yes, causing the three girls to fall to the ground. Later that night, Yang, along with her sister Ruby go throughout the day hearing Blake and Weiss argue constantly on the White Fang.

Two days after Blake accidentally revealed herself as a Faunus, Yang pushes on to find Blake with her sister and Weiss. When Penny shows up out of nowhere, Yang and Weiss take the opportunity to leave while Penny is distracted. During the duo's search, Yang asks Weiss if she cares about Blake's absence. That night, Yang and Weiss meet up with Blake and Ruby after the Faunus was found.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "The Stray"
 * "Black and White"

Beginning the Second Semester
While in the dining hall, Nora flings small grapes at Yang, who catches them in her mouth. Yang then sees that Blake is looking at her notebook and asks what she is doing, but Blake quickly closes the book and says she is looking over notes, causing Yang to loose interest and continues catching food. Ruby appears with a book full of ways to start the new term off with a bang, resulting in Yang making a lame pun about liking to start her terms off "with a Yang". No one finds it funny, and Yang is hit in the head with an apple, causing her to become angry, and she tosses an apple back. Nora tosses back an entire pie, but it ends up hitting Weiss instead of Yang.

A large food fight breaks out between JNPR and RWBY, with Yang grabbing two whole turkeys to use as her gauntlets. She uses them to smash a barrage of watermelons and then launches the turkeys at Jaune, taking him out. However soon after, Pyrrha hits her with a loaf of bread that she tosses at Yang like a spear. Yang quickly gets back into the fight, picking up the two turkeys and beats Ren by smashing him into the floor. Yang in turn is smashed through the ceiling by Nora moments later when hit by her watermelon hammer. After the fight ends, Yang crashes through the ceiling back into the room and has a good laugh with the others.



Yang is seen playing a board game with her team, one which she is seen clearly to be the dominant one, having taken out both Ruby and Weiss, each much to their dismay. She then points out to Blake on how it's her turn, but the latter shows no interest in the game and soon leaves, following the arrival of Sun Wukong and his friend Neptune Vasilias. That night, Yang enters the dorm room with Weiss and Ruby and seems disappointed in the fact that she lost the game to Neptune, with Ruby telling her she should've attacked when she told her to.

She then has her attention caught by Weiss telling Blake to stop, as she was leaving the room. There, the team gets into a discussion, most of which reflect on Blake's worries and conerns on the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. but Yang tells hers that Ozpin told them not to worry, for the police and Huntsmens/Huntresses would take care of it, but Blake remarks on how it is not enough. Following Ruby's idea into the four of them stopping their enemies, Yang agrees, also telling Blake on how she loves it when she is feisty who smiles in response, and then agrees with her sister to formulate a plan.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Best Day Ever"
 * "Welcome to Beacon"

RWBY Investigations
The next day, after Peter Port's class has ended, Yang is with her team in their dorm changing their clothes. After Ruby joyfully exclaims they begin their investigation, and Weiss' sarcastic comment on how seriously they are taking it, Yang notes that since they have a plan, it is moderately serious. She then explains on what her part of the mission is, saying it shouldn't be a problem to get intel. After Sun's surprising appearance, she is paired with Neptune, after Sun agreed to helped them, despite Ruby and Blake not wanting him to.



Yang and Neptune wait until nightfall, at which point they drive Bumblebee to Junior's club. Two henchmen attempt to stop Yang from entering, remembering what she did to the club in the Yellow Trailer, but Yang easily blows the entrance open, knocks both thugs unconscious and walks inside, proudly proclaiming she was back.

Every henchman in the club immediately points their guns at her, causing her to lose her flippant attitude and prepare for a fight mirroring the one taking place in her trailer; however, Junior immediately defuses hostilities out of fear and respect for Yang, knowing the battle would have gone the same way it did before. He makes his men lower their weapons and asks Yang what she wants, to which she replies she is still owed a drink and drags him to the counter.

Despite Yang's intense questioning, Junior is once again unable to provide her with the answers she was looking for; he tells her he hasn't seen Roman since the night she first entered his club, and that he never returned with the men he loaned out to him. Unbeknownst to him, they had been subdued by Ruby and left unconscious for the police to apprehend when they attempted to rob a Dust store. Yang becomes frustrated and leaves with Neptune.

As they board her bike once again, Yang, along with the rest of team RWBY, receives an urgent call from Blake and Sun, whose cover was blown during their stage in the plan and are now being chased by Roman Torchwick inside an Atlesian Paladin-290.

Yang asks where they are, but a moment later Blake, Sun, and the Paladin are seen running by them in the street, and she immediately revs her bike and gives chase to help stop Roman. She maneuvers Bumblebee skillfully while traversing the highway to avoid cars being flung at her and asks Neptune to slow it down; he succeeds in distracting it, but he and Sun are thrown off the highway and removed from the fight shortly after. Weiss causes the Paladin to slip on an ice patch and plummet off the highway, and the battle begins in earnest.

Team RWBY first employ a tactic known as "Freezerburn", involving Weiss and Yang and so-named for their affiliation with ice and fire respectively, as well as being the fandom's ship name for the two. Weiss creates a large layer of ice, which Yang punches, presumably while using her aura to generate fire, to create a large coating of mist which settles over the area, clouding Roman's view and giving team RWBY cover. Yang then takes to dodging the Paladin's blasts while the rest of the team use their team attacks.



Eventually, she catches Roman off-guard, leaping onto the back of the Paladin where she delivers a multitude of damaging shots to its head. However, it overpowers her by charging backward through pillars with great force, then punching her through another pillar as she falls. Blake appears worried, but is reassured by Ruby, who reveals that Yang can absorb the energy from hits she takes and use it to make herself stronger, which is "what makes her special".

Yang gets up and catches a punch from the Paladin with relative ease and new found strength, her eyes turning red from the use of her semblance. She delivers a counter-punch to the Paladin's hand, completely shattering its entire right arm. The Paladin kicks Yang to send her flying, and Ruby calls for a tactic known as "Bumblebee". Blake throws Yang Gambol Shroud, and she catches it in midair, regaining her balance as Blake begins to swing her around in a wide arc. The Paladin dodges her kick, but Ruby and Weiss freeze it in place, allowing her to connect with a solid punch, which completely shatters the Paladin.

Yang fires a long-distance blast from Ember Celica to finish him off, but Neopolitan drops from the highway above and blocks it with her umbrella. Yang angrily charges in to deliver a punch, but Neo manages it to block it with a transparent wall that depicts an image of Neo and Roman. The wall shatters from Yang's punch, and it's revealed that the two retreated to a nearby airship and made their escape. Yang comments on Roman having a new henchman, ironically berates Weiss for making an attempt at a pun, and leaves with the rest of team RWBY.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "A Minor Hiccup"
 * "Painting the Town..."

The Aftermath and The Dance


Some time thereafter, Yang, along with the rest of RWBY, attends a sparring class, and watches Pyrrha obtain successive victories over Team CRDL and Mercury Black, though the latter was by forfeit. Following the class' end team RWBY leave; outside, Yang watches Sun approach Blake and ask her to the dance, to which Blake curtly denies before storming ahead herself. Later, Yang sits next to Blake on their bed and attempts to convince her to go to the dance on the weekend with the rest of team RWBY, mentioning that they are worried over her lack of sleep and high stress level and that they want her to take it easy for one day.

It is revealed that Yang and Weiss were charged with organizing the dance following Team CFVY absence due to a mission taking longer than anticipated, and Yang promises the day will be enjoyable for Blake; however, Blake once again shrugs them off, thinking it a waste of time, and leaves for the library, which saddens Yang. Afterwards she watches with horror as Jaune attempts to seduce Weiss into going to the dance with him by playing a guitar and singing, and when Weiss slams the door in his face quips that this was why people called her "Ice Queen".

Yang is seen helping Weiss prepare for the dance, whilst carrying speakers. Noticing Ruby, Yang asks what she will wear for the dance, but when Ruby said there's no point in going if Blake doesn't go, Yang counters with Blake going to dance. After Sun and Neptune arrive, Sun asks if Blake is still "Blake-y". Ruby says that she has no more ideas on how to change her mind, but Yang walks out telling them that Blake is going. At the library, Yang attracts Blake's attention with a laser pointer and takes her to a classroom to discuss the recent problems. While Blake is seen not wanting to talk, Yang tells her to simply listen, and that she is not trying to have her stop the ongoing investigation of Roman Torchwick, but merely to slow down.



Yang then begins telling Blake about her and Ruby's past, as who their mothers were, bringing up how her actual mother was a member of a team alongside her dad, Summer Rose, and Qrow. However, shortly after Yang was born, her mother left. She tells Blake how she asked and searched for answers on why her mother disappeared, but never found anything, until one day she believed she discovered a clue to her whereabouts and went to search for her, taking a sleeping Ruby along, but was attacked by the creatures of Grimm.

At the last minute, Qrow came to the two girls' rescue. Yang states that her stubbornness almost got them both killed that day. Blake, in return, expresses sympathy for Yang's past, but states on it being different. Yang disagrees, saying that she doesn't want her to stop, but slow down, as she herself still searches for the answer, but doesn't let the search control her.

However, when Blake keeps pressing on how only she can do anything, Yang gets frustrated at her partner - asking her what would she do if Roman suddenly came barging through the door, with Blake answering that she would fight. Yang points out that Blake won't be able to stop him, if she can't even stop her from pushing her back. She then hugs Blake, telling her that she isn't asking her to stop, but to just rest, not only for herself, but for everyone she cares about. Yang invites Blake once more, promising her that she'd save a dance for her.

The next day, Yang is seen in joy over her sister's dress saying that she looks beautiful. Yang then gives Blake her first dance of the night, having kept her promise, before Sun takes over. Shortly afterwards, Yang welcomes both Mercury and Emerald Sustrai to the dance as they enter. She is later seen alone on a balcony, apparently lacking a date of her own, overlooking the dance floor until she is approached by Ruby, who she headlocks playfully (much to the other's chagrin) and advises to have a good time while they had the chance; she is not seen for the rest of the night.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Extracurricular"
 * "Burning the Candle"
 * "Dance Dance Infiltration"

The Mountain Glenn Mission


The following day, Yang along with Blake and Weiss confront Ruby upon her return to their dorm after a meeting with Ozpin, Glynda and Ironwood. After Ruby informs them of her situation, Yang attempts to cheer her sister up by revealing a package addressed to them by their dad. Revealing it to be Zwei, the family dog back in Patch. Yang reads the letter sent by their dad, and informs that Zwei will be staying with them for an indefinite time.

Following an announcement from Glynda, leading up to Ozpin's speech, Yang and her team choose to select a mission from Search & Destroy, but after being unable to join, Ozpin bends the rules for them and signs them up for Quadrant 5. After leaving, they meet up with Velvet and her team, who informs Team RWBY on why they took so long and wishes them to be safe.

Later, Yang, just like the rest of her team are left completely shocked upon the huntsmen who will be joining them on their mission, that being Bartholomew Oobleck. The team travels to Mountain Glenn via an airship and are briefed on the way, with Yang mentioning that Mountain Glenn had been an attempted expansion of Vale that was overrun by Grimm and cut off. Doctor Oobleck believed it would be the ideal place for a criminal hideout.

After their arrival they are almost immediately set upon by Beowolves, which they kill in droves while Oobleck looks on. Yang eventually becomes restless and questions why Doctor Oobleck isn't helping them fight or doing anything, to which Oobleck responds that this was a job and they all signed up for it.



Oobleck later asks Yang why she wants to become a huntress. She initially responds with fighting Grimm and helping people, but Oobleck informs her that that was what she was doing rather than why she was doing it, and asks again. Yang responds this time that she is a thrill-seeker who wants to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many adventures as she possibly can, and if she can help people along the way then it just makes it all the better.

After the group break for camp that night, Yang, along with Blake and Weiss, make a fire. Yang complains about them not finding anything and Blake replies that they were usually fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and that they couldn't have luck on their side all the time. Weiss then mentions that her earlier response to Oobleck's question wasn't the full truth and that there was something more to being a huntress than living up to her family name, to which Blake and Yang both agree, saying that there was more to their answers as well. Yang attempts to assert that they all knew why they were here, but fails to sound convincing.

That night, all three of them have difficulty sleeping, and while Ruby takes first watch they start talking again; Yang asks Blake why she thought Oobleck was asking them those questions before prodding Weiss if she was still awake. Yang later tries to reassure Blake when she says she is confused as to what she can do to make up for her time in the White Fang after a lifetime of hate.



Yang also says that while Blake and Weiss have a driving purpose behind their reasons for being a huntress, she herself is just going with the flow, and questions that while that is who she is how long she can keep it up for. She notes that she's not training to be a huntress because she wants to help people or be a hero; rather, as she mentioned earlier, she seeks adventure, and the feeling of not knowing what tomorrow will bring and for that to be a good thing, and that becoming a huntress just happens to line up with that.

She adds that she isn't like Ruby, who has felt a genuine sense of duty and a desire to protect people and do what's right ever since Yang read her stories when they were little. Weiss mentions that Ruby is just a kid and Blake responds that they all are, but Yang replies by saying they are not anymore - that they are armed to the teeth and in the middle of a war zone.

Yang later takes watch duty after Ruby, and once her turn ends goes to inform Weiss it was her turn; however, she notices Ruby's sleeping bag is empty and grows worried. Unbeknownst to her and the rest of the team, Ruby had been captured by the White Fang, and after Zwei leads them to the hole she had fallen through into Mountain Glenn's underground city, whose history is explained to them by Oobleck, they prepare to go in after her.

Having successfully reached the underground levels of the city, Yang, and the rest of Team RWBY, accompanied by Zwei and Oobleck manage to locate Ruby, who in turn is fleeing from Roman, using the distraction created by her team. Before four White Fang henchmen can shoot and kill Ruby, Yang arrives in time and blows the four of them away and happily shouts for her sister, who jumps in her arms and share a small embrace.

Releasing her, Ruby informs them of the cargo the White Fang currently has, and given no other choice, Ruby prompts that they chase after the fleeing train. While aboard the train, they are met with pressing difficulties, such as several carts being filled with bombs, prompting them to jump cart after cart, until then, taking out several more henchmen who are above the train.



As Ruby and Oobleck decide to take care of the incoming Paladins, Yang, Weiss and Blake head into the train to try and stop it, after Oobleck discovered that the bombs are creating opening for the Grimm. As they encounter Neo, Yang decides to fight her. Once Weiss and Blake move on, Yang begins fighting Neo, but is easily countered and parried by her, and is quickly beaten and rendered unconscious.

Before Neo can kill her, a mysterious woman arrives through a red portal and scares Roman's aid away, thus saving Yang's alive. As she begins to regain consciousness, she manages to catch a small glimpse of her rescuer before regrouping with her team. As the train nears an incoming wall, Weiss quickly creates a shield of ice around them, protecting them from what could have been a fatal crash. As the team reawakens on the surface, they can only then look in horror as Grimm rise from the underground and begin attacking the human populace.

Yang and the rest of the team are seen surrounded by several creatures of Grimm until Ruby leads them to attack. They are later aided by Team JNPR, Team CFVY and a few professors. After the fight, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Ruby are seen looking at the city from the school and begin talking about on how they did manage to do their job. Weiss compliments on how they should get extra credit, but Yang doubts due to the destruction the Grimm caused. After thinking on what to do, Yang asks what should they do now, and Ruby suggests they go to bed. Everyone agrees.

Later, Yang is seen alone, walking through Beacon's courtyard late at night. She comes to a stop in front of the academy statue and is met by Raven Branwen who saved her from Neo earlier. Yang stands her ground and demands to know who the woman is; she removes her helmet to reveal red eyes and features almost identical to Yang's own. Yang's eyes turn red as well as the woman cryptically states that they have a lot to talk about.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Field Trip"
 * "Search and Destroy"
 * "Mountain Glenn"
 * "No Brakes"
 * "Breach"

Vytal Festival Tournament


At the enormous floating stadium Amity Colosseum, Team RWBY's first match in the Vytal Festival tournament is with Team ABRN of Haven Academy. Yang fights Arslan Altan, a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. Despite taking some beating, Yang deals the finishing blow against all of Team ABRN, punching them clean out of the stadium. After an action-packed match, Team RWBY emerges victorious, and the team heads to the Vytal Festival fairgrounds to get a meal.

There, they run into Emerald Sustrai, who praises their performance in the match. It is revealed that Yang will be joining Weiss in moving forward onto the doubles round to represent Team RWBY, whilst Emerald and Mercury will move on from their team. Emerald remarks that they won't go easy on them if they happen to be paired up, and they bid farewell.

Team RWBY ends up eating at a noodle store run by the Shopkeep. Weiss attempts to pay for their meal, but her card is declined. Fortunately, Pyrrha arrives and pays for their meal instead, and they are joined by Team JNPR. After they have eaten, JNPR is called away to their next match. Yang and her team follow them over to the stadium, taking their place at the spectator stands to cheer their friends on. When they walk in, Yang notices Mercury and Emerald walk in behind them.

When Team JNPR and Team BRNZ face off, Yang agrees that Jaune has gotten a lot better with combat, but he still has nothing on Pyrrha's skills. After Team SSSN dances after their defeat of Team NDGO, she calls them dorks, to which Blake agrees. She heads off with her team to congratulate them.

Later, Yang plays video games with Qrow and Ruby in their dorm room, and discuss their experiences fighting Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Qrow briefly takes out a photo of his previous team, Team STRQ, which includes Raven Branwen. Yang is briefly transfixed by the picture, but Qrow notices and puts it away. Qrow remarks that Yang and Ruby have a lot to learn, but that they will "go far" if they never stop moving.

Yang and Weiss face Neon Katt and Flynt Coal of Atlas Academy's Team FNKI in the doubles round of the tournament. Neon immediately draws Yang's ire by criticizing her weight and hair. When the fight starts, Neon manages to evade all of Yang's attacks and continues taunting her with puns and insults, angering her even further. However, after Weiss sacrifices herself attacking Flynt, Yang manages to defeat both him and Neon, winning the match.



Yang fights in the singles round against Mercury Black. Using her Semblance, she defeats him. After telling him he would have better luck against her next time, Mercury states there will not be a next time, and he lunges for her with his boots. In self defense, she punches his leg, firing Ember Celica at the same time. However, because Mercury has no Aura left to shield him, Yang's punch breaks his leg. The crowd in Amity Colosseum, however, sees Yang shoot Mercury in the leg without provocation. Atlas soldiers, some androids and some human, come to apprehend Yang for her apparently unwarranted assault.

Back in Team RWBY's dorm, General Ironwood tells Yang that he looks at her action as a stress-induced hallucination. He says that no matter the situation, millions of people saw Yang attack Mercury without provocation. He also informs Yang that she is hereby disqualified from the tournament.

Yang asks her team if they believe her side of the story. Ruby and Weiss do, but Blake hesitates. She reasons that she has seen Yang's actions before but in a different person. Blake makes Yang promise that she is telling the truth. Yang promises, and Blake accepts. The rest of her team leaves, and Qrow arrives soon after. Qrow thinks Yang's story of self defense as a lie or that Yang is crazy. Yang said she is not lying, and Qrow reasons that she must be crazy.

Yang mentions seeing her mother. She recalls her mother saving her and vanishing when Yang is incapacitated. Qrow verifies that it is her mother, but he also relays to Yang that she will not intervene again. Qrow says her mother is dangerous and has a very different worldview. He says she should not let what happened in her singles match defeat her. He offers her a way to move on, telling her some information that will help her track her mother down.

She is later seen listening to Cinder's speech in her room with Zwei also there.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Round One"
 * "New Challengers..."
 * "Lessons Learned"
 * "Never Miss a Beat"
 * "Fall"
 * "Destiny"
 * "PvP"

The Battle of Beacon
Yang leaves her dormitory with Zwei. She calls Weiss and Blake about the attack, and ask if they have seen Ruby because she won't answer her scroll. The two try to assure her that Ruby is probably fine and can look after herself. Yang appears to accept this with some reluctance. She then heads for the school's docks.

She then rushes to Weiss and the group of students as they finish prevailing over the rogue Paladins. As Weiss tells her of her whereabouts, Yang sets off to find Blake.



After beating up the White Fang rank and file, she, to her horror, sees Adam Taurus stabbing Blake in the stomach. Yang then goes into a berserk rage, leaping towards Adam with tears in her eyes - until Adam intercepts her attack with his sword and severs her right arm. She is sent falling to the ground, unconscious, and with yellow embers flowing from the stump of her limb. Blake then uses her Semblance to divert Adam's attention and escapes the building with Yang's unconscious body.

As she is bandaged for her injuries, Blake apologizes to her unconscious self about being the catalyst for Yang's dismemberment.

After the incident, a crestfallen Yang is snown safely recovering in her home in Patch. When Ruby visits her, she explains what befell Beacon along with their team, and that she wishes to be left alone. In the winter, she sees a crow flying outside her window, not even noticing her father rushing past her open door.

Months later, she remains at home, no longer bedridden but still very troubled.




 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Battle of Beacon"
 * "Heroes and Monsters"
 * "End of the Beginning"
 * Volume 4 Character Short