Weapon

The weapons of various characters in RWBY are used to fight enemies and monsters throughout the world of Vytal. They are usually based on weapons that exist in reality, but given some kind of transformable twist or added feature to make them more versatile in battle. A character's weapon is a source of great interest among fans, and Ruby Rose herself is an admirer of them, describing it as "like meeting new people... but better."

Design
Weapons in RWBY usually have two or more forms, capable of changing back and forth depending on what the wielder needs in battle. Most of the time with physical fighters, this is between melee and ranged modes of combat, as several weapons that have physical fighting force are also able to function as a specific type of firearm. In fact, even after transforming into its other form, it still allows the user to fire projectiles for different purposes, though the regular firearm version seems better suited for shooting at targets.

Some weapons seen so far have been fueled by Dust or Aura for a more "magic-based" type of fighting. By doing so, effects like fire casting, guided arrows, waves of ice, and weather creation are used without or even in conjunction with brute force. According to Pyrrha's speech about aura, all of their weapons seemed to be fueled by it, possibly explaining how certain weapons emit elements related to their character. (Ex: Crescent Rose creating petals after firing shots.)

Occasionally, weapons are not duel-functioning, only having one mode without another form to fight with. The gloves and heels worn by the Malachite twins are only good for close-combat hand-to-hand (or feet-to-feet), while Glynda's wand does not seem able to supply her with any other means of defense other than through her conducted power and the henchmen only carry regular swords, axes, and at least one gun among a group of them.

The weapons are generally made to fit or even define the user's fighting styles. Ruby, by using her Crescent Rose, is able to swing the blade rapidly by firing the sniper portion, and Pyrrha launches her javelin father than she could possibly throw it normally by aiming it with her cross-hairs and then firing the rifle portion for additional speed. Even Jaune and Pyrrha use the addition of shields to defend themselves, which compliment their battle skills while fighting with their blades.

"Standard" or "sheathed" forms are also common with these weapons. This seems to be a way of making the weapons not as dangerous while outside of combat, like the safety catch of a regular firearm. Crescent Rose and Ember Celica shrink down so they can be carried on the user's person easily, and Ren's pistols disappear down his sleeves entirely. Sheathes are used for Jaune Arc's and Blake Belladonna's weapons, though both are still able to function as more than covers for their blades. Even to weapons that are unable to transform down, the wielder usually places them on their backs, sides, or other body parts for easy access in battle.

These weapons, while all but impossible to create in reality, seem to be moderately easy in constructing to the denizens of Vytal. Ruby had to design and build her weapon during her time at Signal Academy, and she expressed surprise at Jaune Arc not making his own, indicating this is a common practice among future Hunters in Vytal. What goes into assembling them is unknown so far.

List of Weapons

 * Crescent Rose - The HCSS (High-Caliber Sniper Scythe) of Ruby Rose.
 * Myrtenaster - The MADR (Multi-Action Dust Rapier) of Weiss Schnee.
 * Gambol Shroud - The VBCS (Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe) of Blake Belladonna.
 * Wilt and Blush - The rifle sheath Wilt and ninjatō Blush of Adam.
 * Ember Celica - The DRSG (Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets) of Yang Xiao Long.
 * Axes, Katanas, and Hand-guns - The various weapons wielded by Henchmen.
 * Melanie's Heels - The bladed shoes worn by Melanie Malachite.
 * Miltia's Claws - The sharpened gloves worn by Miltiades Malachite.
 * Batzooka - The rocket-launcher/club weapon wielded by Junior.
 * Candy Cane - The walking stick/flare rifle wielded by Roman Torchwick.
 * Glynda's Wand - The Dust/Aura-charged wand wielded by Professor Glynda Goodwitch.
 * Sword and Shielth - The longsword and sheath/shield weapon wielded by Jaune Arc.
 * Jade Dragons - The bladed pistols wielded by Lie Ren.
 * Miló and Akoúo̱ - The javelin/sword/hunting rifle and hoplite shield wielded by Pyrrha Nikos.
 * Magnhild - The grenade-launcher/hammer wielded by Nora Valkyrie.
 * Peter's Axe - The blunderbuss/battle axe wielded (at least before) by Professor Peter Port.
 * Ozpin's Cane - The currently-unknown trigger cane weapon wielded by Professor Ozpin.

Trivia

 * When asked by a fan at the RTX RWBY Panel if there were going to be any weapons that would not double as a gun, Kerry Shawcross asked why they would want that, and then the panel continued on to state that should actually create a "Gun-Gun".
 * There is an entire Weapons Magazine that seems to be dedicated on stories regarding weapons, to which Ruby is apparently a fan of when she read through Issue 228 at From Dust Till Dawn.
 * Ozpin has described the type of scythe Ruby possesses (or just scythes in general) as "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed".
 * Very few characters do not have a weapon connected to them so far. These include: Crimson, who apparently uses Aura or Dust as her main fighting style; the members of team CRDL (Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark), who have barely been introduced in general; and Qrow, who, though has been mentioned to use a scythe with much skill, has not been introduced to the series as of yet.