Uh, hey there, everyone. I guess this is my first major post on this wiki. In any case, it's RnR. Nice to meet ya. Now, I'mma cut to the bone here. I love the Semblances in RWBY. I'm a bit of a superpower buff, so you can imagine. I love their idea, I love their concept, and I love how they can evolve. However, as much as I love them, I think they're underutilized at times, or at least not used to their fullest potential. Unicorn of War's video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEpC_x9elVM, got me thinking that Semblance doesn't play as much as a part I think should, and they can be so much more. It's also got me wondering. How would I do things differently?
Now, I know that RWBY is no stranger to criticism, but ya know what? Let's have some fun here, okay? How would you guys the Semblances? What changes would you make, if any? What abilities would you add? What would their evolution be?
For starters, I'll share my ideas.
Ruby Rose - Petal Burst (Of course, I'd call it Rose Burst, but that's a topic for another day): It's pretty much the same as the original; it gives Ruby the power of super speed. However, instead of Ruby forming into massive, separate clusters of rose petals, I would have her Semblance go something like this. Ruby's Petal Burst would start at the essential incredible superspeed, getting faster the more she uses it in battles. Then it would evolve into a flashstep ability, pretty much Ruby's standard ability in the series proper, but it would be far stronger since she worked her way up to it. Next, it would further evolve into invisible speed. When Ruby dashes in a burst of speed, she moves too fast to the point where she's invisible. Not to be confused with the flash step evolution, where she moves so fast it looks she teleports. Finally, and my personal favorite, Ruby would gain the abilities of scattering and reforming. This one relates to Ruby's and the poem's lyrics on her grave, 'Thus Kindly, I Scatter'. Ruby would have the ability to scatter and reform herself somewhat instead of form into massive. It's like her Semblance in the recent volumes, minus "thus negating her mass," and just being an enormous cluster. Ruby would be turning into more scattered petals. Not only would Ruby still be able to break down her and her friends into petals, but she can disperse into intangible petal clusters to avoid attacks and move at incredible speed.
Yang Xiao Long - Burn: Now, I was inspired by Unicorn of War's video for this one. Yang's would pretty much be one for one in RWBY proper. However, much UoW, I didn't particularly appreciate how her Semblance got shelved later in the series while everyone was free to use theirs however they wanted. Instead, much like UoW, I would have Yang go through her trauma as she did in the series, and instead of activating it by taking damage, she would be using the strength of his inner flame, her drive to fuel her Semblance. That drive is to protect her friends, especially Ruby, one of the few families she has left. With this evolution, Yang's Semblance would be much more powerful, and she would be able to form that power into a whole burning aura around her instead of just her hair. Moreover, she can concentrate her power into a single point, i.e., her fists, increasing the power of her punches immensely. Yang even ability amplify this ability with Fire Dust.
I could go on, but I think I chattered enough. Sorry for the long read, I just wanted to elaborate on my ideas for their Semblances, and I got into it. Like I said, superpower buff, you know how it is.
Anywho, you got any idea for Semblance ideas and evolutions for the characters? Write em' in the comments below. I'd love to know to see what you guys come up with. Check out the Superpower Wiki if you need help getting a clear-cut idea.
And with that, everyone, stay safe, stay healthy, and take care.