User blog:Blu3 Fir3 - V2.0/The Problem with RWBY Self-Inserts

Self-inserts. As one of the most common story formats used in both fiction and Fanfiction, there are many instances of self-inserts with some done well, and most executed rather poorly. Fanfiction suffers from the latter quite a bit, and RWBY Fanfiction is especially prone to this. Why?

The Spirit Within
Well, let's start with what makes or breaks your chances of survival on Remnant. Aura.

Aura is the one of the only reasons that humanity has been able to survive on Remnant. It enhances your physical capablities, can be manipulated into shields, beams, lightning, and many other forms, it protects you from outside forces that would otherwise kill you, and it even gives you access to a potent ability in your Semblance.



But, if you insert onto Remnant with your current body and mind, you likely will not have access to Aura. On Earth, there is no equivalent to Aura, which is why I am of the opinion that the soul is nothing but a concept in our universe, not a physical object. That aside, the people of Remnant have this innate ability, whether it is a soul or some mass of energy within them generated by their bodies.

Re:RWBY: Life in Another World
So, 90% of RWBY self-insert stories compensate for this issue by killing yourself off at the beginning of the story. In doing this, you can be reborn onto Remnant after meeting Death, Jesus, Satan, or whatever godly being bestows a second life upon you.



The only problem with this is explaining why the heck that godly being brought you of all the many creatures that died on the day you did back to life. You're not an alien cyborg swashbuckler, or a decorated ex-Navy Seal, or even the lord of darkness from another universe. You're just the average joe who may or may not be privy to information regarding your new home.

Oftentimes, this explanation is left on the wayside, and the story moves on with no thought given to such a thing. So, that's a massive plot hole right there.

No Game, No Life
As someone currently trying to write a RWBY self-insert story, I can say that it is exceedingly difficult to write yourself onto Remnant. This is because at one point or another, you are going to encounter mankind's greatest enemy: the Grimm.



The Grimm are dangerous. Maybe not as dangerous to your average Huntsman, but they are definitely one of the last things you want to run into within your first few minutes of arriving on Remnant. Why?

Chances are, you have very little combat experience. The only threatening creature you've ever killed is a fat cricket you found on the bottom of your toilet. You are completely outclassed, and start panicking until you realize that your mind is calm. You can think. And, you realize that instead of fighting or waiting to die, you can run up the hill and kick that big boulder down onto this stupid ape. Later that day, you realize that you are the Gamer. Your whole life is now one big video game.

The Gamer Semblance is an easy way to avoid dying when facing your first Grimm. Along with Titan-shifting into a Grimm and having instant access to your Aura, the Gamer is one of the more common solutions to this issue. Without these special powers, your self-insert would be dead in a matter of seconds if they did not arrive on Remnant in a safe location such as pre-Volume 3 finale Vale, Atlas, or Mistral. Vacuo is probably the last place you want to be unless you're in Shade Academy.

Of course, this also can make for a very interesting story. Or, it could lead to some more of those dreaded plot holes as you try to explain why your self-insert can turn into a Grimm at will.

The Harem King
Lastly, there is the issue of interacting with canon characters. You would love to make all of Team RWBY part of your harem. But, that would also completely change the course of the canon storyline. The moment you start to have major interactions with some of the biggest players in the canon universe, the plot of RWBY as you know it changes completely.



All of a sudden, it is Atlas that falls at the end of Volume 3. And Cinder now has the power of the Winter and Fall Maidens. To matters worse, Ozpin gets cancer and dies. Also, most of your harem now hates you and are actively trying to kill you. You have lost your biggest advantage on Remnant, and realize that you are screwed.

Of course, an alternative path is that nothing changes, you stop Cinder from killing Pyrrha, retake Vale from the invading Grimm, and everything works out happily ever after. In some stories, this is exactly what happens. Other times, the story ignores Volume 3, so that you can have a happy ending with your best girl.

Regardless of what occurs, interacting with the canon cast can have dire consequences for your story. One does not simply become the RWBY harem king without affecting the canon plot of RWBY, after all.

Conclusion
Having an Aura requires an explanation, having special powers requires an explanation, and avoiding the deconstruction of RWBY's plot also requires an explanation. And before you know it, you've written a story riddled with plot holes, inconsistencies, and a myriad of other issues.

A self-insert story is not easy to pull off, but it has been done before. It just depends on how well you know yourself, and the rules of the world you arrive in.