User blog comment:AK151/RWBY Villain Speculations/@comment-10390252-20140707131343

Regarding the villains, I find myself making comparisons with some of the villain characters in the X-Men franchise, especially the younger ones picked up and trained by Magneto and Mystique before Xavier could find them. Like these (examples are Rictor, Boomboom and Scarlet Witch), I suspect that they are going to be loyal to Cinder as a mother/mentor figure.

Then they'll meet our young heroes. I suspect that this will have some consequences

Emerald is going to be a Lawful Neutral and will go in whichever direction her judgement tells her. My gut feeling (based mostly on the way she was watching Ruby during the Pyrrha/Mercury duel) is that she's one of those people who is always evaluating events and refining her plans and views based on what is going on. I'm not sure if she'll ever do a Face-Heel Turn but I suspect that she may find RWBY and JNPR as allies of convenience, especially if, as you suggest, the Grimm and the possible power behind them becomes a distinct threat in later seasons.

Mercury on the other hand reminds me a lot of Quicksilver - Arrogant, self-satisfied and basically scornful of others, even those who should be on his side (note that he and Roman were on the edge of violence when Cinder evidently told them both to back off and hit the showers to cool down). I can't see him changing from his Neutral Evil or possibly even Chaotic Evil alignment.

Roman strikes me as a True Neutral or possibly Chaotic Neutral. He's in this for the money and nothing more. He'll likely change alliegance if it becomes clear that Cinder's plans are bad for his long-term prosperity and betray her without a second thought. However, Cinder strikes me as a very smart Lawful Evil and I suspect she's a few moves ahead of him, so she might have a plan to counter a betrayal already in position.