Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26185073-20160318053753/@comment-27960411-20160508104206

-shrugs-

Wasn't surprising RWBY took a dark turn, almost reminds me of the way RvB also took a dark turn, except RvB was more unexpected.

Although I beg to differ regarding the innocence of those 3 representing the previous volume. Torchwick made it clear that the transition is bound to happen and Volume 2 is just a build up to the inevitable which is kind of expected. The only thing that represents the innocence of the previous volumes is their friendship and a place where they can be themselves and that together they could stop anything.

Volume 3 is indeed a transit to a dark period except, the message was more powerful which makes it unexpectedly dark. The thing that represents more is "Loss". They lost the place where they made fond memories and their friends that they hanged around (including living ones). Realising their limitation also takes to account they they couldn't stop the invasion, even if they worked together and the sense of hopelessness that they couldn't prevent further disaster from happening. Team JNRR follows that representation however they still carry the light within' them.

For now RWBY Vol.4 can't get any darker than Vol.3 since that big elaborative plan was already used.

So far, the things that those 3 have in common is that they are both used in the same plan and are gone from Volume 3 (and their hairstyle and eye color).