Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-35941743-20190304195312/@comment-14909251-20190328231435

73.Anon.52 wrote: I disagree, Cinder herself isn't that much more important to the plot since Salem could always replace her and the replacement could draw parallels to reveal more of Cinder's backstory, the only thing remotely important lost would be Ruby forgiving her would be less of a developing moment than forgiving Cinder would be.

To say Cinder is more important than that would be speculatory fanfiction almost as bad as Soarel's was.

Unless Cinder's backstory is something like "descendent of Oz and/or Salem" but until they release that backstory we wouldn't know it was. Are you talking about Salem taking her place or do you mean introducing a new character to replace Cinder? Honestly, I don't see either working at all. This isn't a series where you have a line of "big bads" with their own group of "lesser bads" to run through. Only one Big Bad exists in this series and no "lesser bads" could be introduced that would be as effective for plot reasons unless you have characters flip alignments. RWBY has its existing group of villains and is unlikely to grow that by much, if at all. So the question is who can fill the role Cinder fills and the truth is no one. Hazel is too nice, Tyrian is too mean and crazy, and Watts is too smug.