"Dark" is the eighth episode of Volume 8 and the one hundredth episode of RWBY. It premiered for Rooster Teeth FIRST members on February 6th, 2021 and was made public on the Rooster Teeth site on February 13th, 2021.
Summary[]
In their cells, Arthur Watts, Jacques Schnee, Qrow Branwen and Robyn Hill try in vain to get some sleep. However, they are interrupted by an explosion that tears through the wall of the prison. Qrow has just enough time to transform into his corvid form before debris rains down on them.
At Schnee Manor, Klein Sieben tends to Nora Valkyrie, who awakens just as Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Whitley Schnee rush a badly-damaged Penny Polendina into Weiss's room. Klein isn't sure whether he can adequately repair the damage, but will do what he can. Unfortunately, at that moment the power goes out. May Marigold, on her way back to the Mantle Crater to help the refugees, calls them to confirm that Atlas just took another major hit. Ruby apologizes that they aren't doing more to help, but May tells her not to beat herself up, saying she doesn't know how much help they are able to give, at this point.
Klein tries to comfort the depressed Ruby by suggesting she start with trying to fix what's in front of her; he could repair Penny more easily if they can restore power. An intoxicated Willow Schnee joins them, revealing the Schnees have a backup generator on their estate. Whitley suddenly remembers that the SDC has dozens of cargo ships on standby due to the Dust embargo. If piloted by the Snow Shoe Shipping drones, they can be used to transport the refugees to safety, as long as Whitley can gain access to Jacques' computer.
Ruby and Blake rush to the edge of the grounds to activate the generator; Ruby worries that it won't work, as nothing else has so far. Blake points out that, even when Ruby hasn't known what the right thing to do was, it has never stopped her from trying something before. Blake had the same determination in her youth, but "time and... a lot of other things" took their toll on her. Until she met Ruby, she wasn't sure that kind of optimism could survive. She claims that, despite Ruby's youth, she's always looked up to her, and still does. Just then, the generator activates, restoring power across the Manor.
Blake's cheerful mood becomes shattered when she sees the silhouette of The Hound looming behind Ruby. As it attacks, she calls Weiss to warn her. Weiss rushes to help her teammates as Whitley unlocks Jacques' computer.
On the grounds, Blake tries to divert the Hound while Ruby prepares to use her silver eyes, but the Hound knocks Blake away. Snarling, "Take...the...girl", it lunges at Ruby, knocking her unconscious. It attempts to fly away with her, but Blake tethers it to the ground with Gambol Shroud as Weiss arrives. She calls Klein, ordering him to keep everyone else together and calm. Willow, however, loses her nerve when she drops her glass of vodka, and flees the room. At the same time, Penny re-activates as her hacked persona tries to take over, though she tries to fight it using her Maiden Powers.
Weiss tries to attack the Hound with her Semblance, but she and Blake are attacked by a group of Centinels, forcing them to let the Hound go. As it lifts off, however, it notices the glow from Penny's powers inside the manor; Ruby having regained consciousness, notices its behavior and yells that the Hound is after Penny, not her. The Hound flies toward the Manor, dropping Ruby and knocking her unconscious again. Having killed the Centinels, Blake sends Weiss to help the others, but as she approaches Ruby, a Cenitaur bursts from the ground and attacks her.
In the manor, Penny shifts between her normal persona and Watts' hacking. Nora reaches out to her from her bed, saying no one will make Penny do something she doesn't want to. Penny claims a part of her is making her, but Nora repeats Blake's words to her: "It's just a part of you; don't forget about the rest." This causes Penny to calm down and return to her own persona. Weiss calls Klein again, telling him to keep everyone quiet, but Klein warns her that Whitley and Willow haven't returned yet.
Willow has gone to find more vodka, but ultimately smashes the bottle instead. She uses the cameras she hid around the manor to track the Hound, which is following Penny's scent. As Weiss enters, Willow warns her just in time as the Hound attacks from above. However, it almost immediately breaks off its attack, evades her counterstrike and runs down a second-floor corridor. Weiss tells Willow to keep tracking the Hound so she can kill it, but Willow becomes horrified when she sees the Hound approaching Jacques' office. She calls Whitley, who hides behind the desk just as it enters. Though the Hound cannot see Whitley, the sounds of Jacques' computer give him away. Just as it is closing in on him, Willow summons a huge Boarbatusk that pins it to the wall, giving Whitley just enough time to type the command launching the evacuation fleet. The enraged Hound breaks free and chases after them, gaining rapidly, but it is suddenly stopped by a wall of ice; Weiss has come to her family's aid.
Back on the grounds, Blake is having difficulty against the Cenitaur, which sprays jets of acid at her, forcing her to keep her distance. She calls to Ruby, saying she and the rest of the team need her back. Just as the Cenitaur snares her in its claws, Ruby cuts it down from behind with Crescent Rose. She helps Blake up, just as a scream comes from Schnee Manor; Penny's hacked persona is taking control again. Knocking Klein aside, she strides out of Weiss' room and toward the entrance hall, passing the Schnees. When Whitley questions what she's doing, Penny says she must open the Vault, then self-terminate. However, she is interrupted by the Hound, which tries to seize her. When Penny fights back, the Hound sprouts a third arm, grabs her head and bashes her against the floor, shutting her down again. As Ruby and the rest of her allies arrive, the Hound uses Penny as a shield, but this backfires due to the protective power of Ruby's silver eyes. Ruby snaps "That's enough", activating her silver eyes and blasting the Grimm through the window. Penny topples down the stairs, unconscious, and Ruby, Blake and Wiess gather around her.
Suddenly, the Hound's arms pull it slowly back up through the hole in the window, followed by its body with the head blown off... and, where its neck should be, is the face of a scarred Faunus, with silver eyes. Repeating the same phrase, "Take...the...girl!" with increasing intensity, it staggers down the steps toward them. Ruby, Weiss and Blake are too stunned and horrified to fight back at first, and simply drag Penny backward. As the Hound approaches, parts of its head begin to regenerate. On the stairs above, Whitley and Willow push against a giant suit of armor and sword mounted against the rail. Just as the Hound is fully regenerated and preparing to lunge at Penny again, the armor and sword come crashing down on it, killing the creature at last. Ruby falls to her knees in horror. When Weiss asks what the Hound was, Ruby murmurs, "That was...a person." When the Hound's flesh crumbles into dust, the skeleton of its Faunus host is left behind.
Back in the prison, Cinder Fall clears aside the wreckage to uncover Watts. She smugly remarks that this is the first time she's been glad to see him, and that it's her turn to ask for something. Several Atlesian soldiers enter and aim at her, but Cinder lifts Watts onto her shoulders and blasts past them with her Maiden powers, escaping into the night.
Transcript[]
The camera opens up on Qrow Branwen being jerked awake by a nightmare. He glances at the cells containing Watts and Jacques.
Robyn: Yup.
Qrow glances at her.
Robyn: Not getting much sleep here either.
Qrow rises and puts a hand to his forehead.
Robyn: Sounds bad out there.
Qrow: Wait.
The sound of rumbling reaches their ears.
Qrow: That doesn't sound like-
Arthur glances nervously at a wall seconds before a fiery blast collides with it.
Qrow: Get down!
The blast shoots past them, leaving a pile of rubble and small fires in its wake. Robyn lowers the hand protecting her eyes to the sound of a crow screeching. She glances up, then lowers her head back down as more debris falls toward them.
Nora Valkyrie opens her eyes. Her vision is blurred. She blinks a few more times before opening to see her arm covered in burn scars and a bed.
Klein Sieben: No need to worry, miss. You and your friend are going to be just fine.
Klein glances down with friendly brown eyes after adjusting some medical tubes. Nora's vision turns to the sound of a door being opened. Blake Belladonna is opening a door for Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Whitley Schnee, who are carrying an unconscious Penny Polendina.
Blake: She lost consciousness. And she's... leaking.
Klein: Set her down, set her down.
Ruby, Weiss and Whitley set Penny on a bed next to Nora's. Whitley is shown grimacing at the green coolant that stains his clothes. Ruby and Weiss do the same.
Ruby: Can you help her?
Klein scans Penny with his scroll, which locates an injury at her waist. His eyes are red as he assesses the damage.
Klein: Even based on what you've told me, I hardly know what she is.
He coughs, and his eyes turn from red to brown.
Klein: Ahem, but, her basic anatomy seems similar enough. I can at least stitch up that wound.
A thundery crash sounds from outside. Everyone present glances in that direction. The power suddenly goes out.
Whitley: Oh, that's just rich.
Ruby takes out her ringing scroll. May Marigold's voice comes through.
May: Everyone okay back there? Just saw another bombing run light up the kingdom.
Ruby glances out the window.
Ruby: Looks like part of the city lost power. We're okay though.
May is shown piloting a Manta through a sky filled with clashing Grimm and Atlesian aircraft.
May: Sorry I couldn't stick around, but time's running out for everyone in the crater.
Ruby: No, we're sorry. Once we know what's wrong with Penny, we'll... we'll do something.
As Ruby speaks, May grimly watches a distant Tempest tear apart an Atlesian Airship.
May: Don't beat yourself up, kid. At this point I don't know how much is left to be done.
As May ends the call, Ruby starts to tear up.
Ruby: It's all just... too much. The Grimm, the crater, Nora, Penny... How do we fix all of it?
Weiss puts a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder as Klein sneezes, his eyes light blue.
Klein: One step at a time, my dear.
He sneezes again, his eyes returning to brown.
Klein: You can't worry about fixing everything. Simply focus on what's in front of you. If you'd like some place to start, I'd be able to work faster if you could bring the power back on.
Ruby: Well, how would we-
Willow Schnee: We have a generator near the edge of the estate.
Willow is leaning on a doorframe, a bottle of alcohol in hand. Whitley huffs, crossing his arms.
Whitley: So kind of you to join us, mother.
Willow: Believe it or not, I am above drinking in the dark.
Willow then notices Klein with them.
Willow: Oh, hello, Klein.
Klein gives his former employer a silent nod.
Weiss: SDC executives have their own auxiliary power supplies in case of a city-wide blackout. It's extremely unfair, but perhaps now isn't such a bad time for company perks.
Whitley glances out the window and seems to come to an epiphany.
Whitley: We don't just have perks.
Weiss: Hm?
Whitley: We have the company. The people you mentioned in the crater, they need a way out, right? There are rows and rows of cargo ships just sitting in the hangars because of the embargo.
Weiss: And our own automated drones, like the ones at Snow Shoe Shipping.
Whitley: We can order as many as we need to pilot our ships down to the crater and get people to safety, while the Grimm are occupied with the general's forces.
Blake: We can?
Whitley: I can. I just need father's computer.
Ruby: Then we definitely need to get the power back on.
Blake and Ruby sprint to the power shed outside Schnee Manor and push open the gates. Ruby throws a lever on the backup generator, and it hums to life. The words STARTUP SEQUENCE - POWER BACKUP can be seen on its main display.
Ruby: Oh, come on, come on.
Blake: Don't worry. It'll work.
Ruby: Nothing else has.
Blake: I know you don't always know what to do, but that's never stopped you from doing something. I was like that as a girl, but time and... a lot of other things, took their toll on me. Then I wasn't sure if that kind of girl could actually survive in the world... until I met you. It was a little strange at first because you were younger, but I've always looked up to you, Ruby. And I still do.
Ruby tears up again, and seems to be reassured.
Ruby: Thanks, Blake.
The generator finally reaches operational capacity, and power is restored to Schnee Manor. Whitley, who is waiting in his father's study, practically pounces on the keyboard of the desktop terminal as Weiss looks on. Blake seems satisfied at a job well done, but her ears droop, and her expression turns to one of shock as she regards something behind the camera.
Ruby: What?
The Hound's silhouette can be seen in front of a flash of lightning through a window behind Ruby.
Klein and Willow are waiting uneasily in Weiss' bedroom. A distant shatter of glass has them startled.
Klein: What was that?
Another loud crash rings out, and Willow reaches for her bottle.
Weiss answers a transmission from her team on her Scroll.
Weiss: Ruby! Blake!
Blake: Weiss! There's a Grimm that- Look out!
The transmission cuts off, and Weiss turns to her brother, still on the computer.
Weiss: Can you handle this?
Whitley: Assuming you can handle that.
Weiss scoffs, and hurries for the door.
Weiss: We still need to work on your attitude.
Ruby is thrown through a hole in the wall of the power shed. The Hound roars menacingly at her. Blake tries to land a blow, but her strike is deflected. The Hound lunges forward, and Ruby avoids it using her Semblance.
Ruby: What is this thing?!
Blake: It's just a Grimm. Just focus.
Blake fires at the Hound as Ruby takes a deep breath in preparation to use her Silver Eyes. Blake leaps off a wall to attack, but is knocked aside.
The Hound: Take the girl.
The Hound charges, pinning Ruby to the ground. Her Aura shimmers weakly. Blake gets back onto her feet.
Blake: Ruby!
With a roar, the Hound sprouts newly formed wings from its back. It begins to take off, Ruby in tow, but Blake manages to get her weapon around one of its feet, and stabs her sheath into the ground to tether it. Meanwhile, Weiss arrives at the scene, speaking into her Scroll.
Weiss: Klein!
In Weiss' bedroom, Klein is tending to Penny as Willow pours herself a drink.
Weiss: There's a Grimm here and others might be nearby. Keep everyone together and call if there's trouble.
Klein: Of course.
Willow's hands are shaking violently, and she loses her grip on the cup and bottle. They shatter against the floor, which doesn't do her nerves any good.
Klein: Madame, please try to calm yourself.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Penny's eyes snap open, her irises an ominous red color. Willow panics, running out the door.
Willow: I can't do this. I can't do this!
Klein: Willow, please come back!
He notices Penny standing, and turns to her.
Klein: Goodness, try not to-
Penny, clearly not in her right mind, throws Klein aside. He falls against a chair, which clatters to the ground. Penny takes a step toward him, then her eyes flicker between red and her usual green. Her Maiden's eye-flames flare up, and she stumbles back as a whirling air current and a bright green light fills the room.
Penny: No, not again!
At the power shed, Weiss launches a barrage of icy projectiles at the airborne Hound, but misses. She stabs her rapier into the ground, using her Semblance to call forth a Giant Nevermore, but it is destroyed mid-summon as Centinels join the fray. Blake is momentarily distracted as a Centinel tries to attack, and the Hound shakes off its tether, climbing higher into the sky.
Blake: No!
The Hound notices the distant green glow of Penny's Maiden powers from the manor, and Ruby looks at the green coolant staining her clothes.
Ruby: It's not here for me, it's here for Penny!
The Hound changes targets, dropping Ruby and taking off for the manor. Weiss notices her falling helplessly.
Weiss: Ruby!
The girl hits the ground hard, her Aura dissipating. Blake destroys the last Centinel, then turns to Weiss.
Blake: Help the others, I've got her.
Weiss casts one last worried look at Ruby, then heads to the manor herself. Blake crosses the yard to help Ruby, but another Grimm emerges from the ground, barring her path. A Cenitaur drags itself into view and screeches, its body churning with bright green acid.
Back in the manor, Penny struggles to maintain control as Klein watches from outside the storm surrounding her. Whenever her eyes turn red, she takes a step toward Klein.
Klein: You're okay. Please!
Penny's eyes alternate chaotically between red and green, and she appears to be in pain.
Penny: I don't want to do it.
A hand reaches out to grab Penny's.
Nora: Hey...
Penny is taken by surprise, her eye-flames vanishing. The storm rages on.
Nora: No one's going to make you do anything you don't want to do.
Penny fights against the hack in her system, her words coming out haltingly.
Penny: But there is a part of me... It's making me...
Nora: It's just a part of you. Don't forget about the rest.
The storm in Weiss' bedroom calms, and Nora gives Penny's hand a weak squeeze. Penny seems to have taken control for the moment, and kneels by Nora's bedside. Klein receives a transmission on his Scroll.
Weiss: Klein, it's coming inside. Stay quiet. I'm on my way.
Klein: Do hurry. Whitley and Willow have yet to return.
Weiss: What? Where'd Mom go?
Willow bursts through the doors of her room, breathing heavily. She reaches for a bottle on a nearby table, but seems to harden her resolve, seeing her Scroll next to it. A distant crash has her yelping in surprise. The Hound has entered the manor's entrance hall, and sniffs around for Penny, stopping at a large puddle of her green coolant on the floor. Nora and Penny look horrified at the Grimm's distant sniffling sounds.
Weiss reaches the manor as well, stepping lightly and looking for the Hound. Suddenly her Scroll beeps.
Willow: Above you!
Weiss narrowly dodges as the Hound drops from the ceiling, but it swings its' arm, knocking her backward. Her Aura shimmers as she slams into the piano behind her. She fires icy projectiles at the Hound as it leaps onto the second landing, and it roars indignantly before crawling out of sight. Weiss uses her scroll.
Weiss: Mom?
In Willow's room, her bottle lies in pieces. She brings up several camera feeds showing the manor's surveillance on her Scroll.
Willow: I... I can see it. It's outside Winter's old room. I- You can kill it? Can't you?
Weiss: What is it doing?
Weiss heads for the stairs as she talks. The Hound is shown prowling the hallway, sniffing.
Willow: I'm not sure. It's acting strange. Why is it here?
Weiss climbs the stairs, her rapier at the ready.
Weiss: It doesn't matter. Just keep an eye on it so I can track it down.
Willow takes a breath to steady herself.
Willow: Right. Right. Okay. It's moving again. Heading towards... Oh dear, no.
Meanwhile, Whitley is still working in his father's study, his vest stained with Penny's green coolant.
Whitley: I can do this.
His Scroll beeps.
Willow: Whitley.
Whitley groans, hanging up on his mother.
Whitley: You are the last thing I need. All that's left should be...
The door creaks open, and Whitley grunts in frustration, turning to the door. His expression turns to one of horror.
As the Hound makes its way into the study, Whitley takes cover behind the desk. The Grimm sniffs around, its footsteps rattling the pieces of a nearby chess set. Whitley risks a look at the Hound.
Computer: Credentials verified. Click to proceed.
The Hound's head snaps toward the computer, and Whitley goes back behind the desk. As the Grimm nears the desk, Whitley's eyes widen.
The Hound: I know... you're here.
A summoned Boarbatusk suddenly charges the Hound, pinning it to the wall. Willow is seen in the doorway.
Willow: Run!
Whitley heads for the door, turning back for one last keystroke. A window reading ORDERS RECEIVED pops up on the computer screen as the Hound fights Willow's summon.
Computer: Thank you.
Willow and Whitley scramble into the hallway, putting distance between themselves and the room, but the Hound destroys the summoned Boarbatusk and bursts out of the room. Whitley slams the door behind him at the end of the corridor but it barely slowly the Hound down. As he and his mother sprint, the Hound starts to gain on them, and pounces--
A wall of solid ice stops the Grimm from advancing, and Willow and Whitley turn to see Weiss at the end of the corridor.
Weiss: I didn't forget you.
Willow and Whitley both smile at her, but their expressions change as the ice wall begins to crack. On the other side, the Hound slashes at the wall with its' claws.
Weiss: Go!
Willow lays a concerned hand on her daughter's shoulder as she and Whitley run past. Weiss stabs her weapon into the ground to prepare for a summon.
Blake is doing battle with the Cenitaur, blocking its strikes and leaping out of the way of its acid spit.
Blake: Why did it get more disgusting?
Ruby is still unconscious behind the Grimm.
Blake: I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you, Ruby. We all need you.
Blake detonates a fire dust-infused clone in front of the Cenitaur, and goes in for a strike, but it knocks her off her feet. She forms an ice dust-infused clone around the blades on its arms, and tries again, but she is hit with her own solid clone and collides with a wall, her Aura shimmering weakly.
Blake: Please, get up.
The Cenitaur grabs her as she tries to recover, its twitching mandibles nearing her neck. It suddenly stiffens and dissipates. Ruby can be seen behind the disintegrating Grimm, having used her weapon to bisect it. She turns to Blake, chuckling.
Ruby: I could hear you.
Blake lets out a relieved sigh, and accepts a helping hand from Ruby to get back on her feet. Then Penny's distant scream has them turning to look back at the manor.
The Hound hears the scream, then abandons its efforts at breaking the ice wall, turning and heading for Weiss' bedroom. Weiss' Arma Gigas summon fades away behind her as she speaks into her scroll.
Weiss: It's coming!
Penny is struggling more than ever to maintain control.
Penny: I'm sorry!
With one last grunt, Watts' hack takes over and her eyes stay red. Klein tries to stop her, but Penny simply pushes him away and leaves Weiss' bedroom. Willow and Whitley finally reach the entrance hall, and they grab the bannister of the main staircase, breathing heavily. Penny walks by them.
Whitley: What are you doing?
Penny: I must open the Vault, and then self-terminate.
Penny's voice is monotonous. The Hound appears and locks hands with Penny at the landing, forcing them both into a standstill. Then a third arm emerges from its back and slams Penny into the floor repeatedly. It growls out each word of its order every time Penny hits the ground.
The Hound: Take. The. Girl.
The Hound lifts an unconscious Penny with one hand as Ruby, Weiss, and Blake return to the manor.
Ruby: Penny!
The Grimm raises a claw to Penny's throat, causing the girls to stop in their tracks. Willow and Whitley look on, terrified. Ruby's voice turns uncharacteristically low, matching her anger and indignation.
Ruby: That's... enough.
Weiss and Blake turn to look at her as a bright light emanates from her Silver Eyes. The Hound drops Penny and stumbles back, falling through the window behind it. Penny tumbles down the staircase, coming to a rest at the three girls' feet. They rush the check on her, but the Hound slowly crawls back into view.
As it drags itself back onto the landing, its inner core is visible: the head of a decrepit Silver-Eyed male fox Faunus with unsightly veins covering his face, dark fluid seeping from his one eye and ear, and exposed musculature by his jaw. As it lumbers down the stairs and its joints crack back into place, the head repeats its orders in a raspy voice. Even Ruby is stunned at the horrific sight.
The Hound: Take... the girl. Take the girl. Take the girl. Take the girl!
Whitley studies the giant suit of armor beside him at the landing and gets his mother's attention. Weiss and Blake hurriedly carry Penny to an alcove in the wall before raising their weapons to stand beside Ruby.
The Hound: Take the girl!
Whitley and Willow push as hard as they can against the armor. As the Hound closes in on Ruby and her friends, its' head regenerates, covering the host's face again. It's voice deepens to the feral roar from before.
The Hound: TAKE! THE! GIRL!
Just as the half-dead Grimm is ready to make a final lunge, Willow and Whitley manage to tip over the suit of armor. It crashes and clatters on top of the Hound in a cloud of rubble. When the dust finally settles, the Hound has stopped moving beneath the armor. Ruby drops to her knees, staring in shock at the Hound's lone exposed arm as it begins to disintegrate.
Weiss: What was that?
Ruby: That was... a person.
The dark Grimm flesh fades away to reveal the skeletal forearm and hand of its' Faunus host.
Meanwhile, at the Atlas holding cells, Cinder tears away a chunk of rubble and smirks down at Watts.
Cinder: You know, this may be the first time I've ever been happy to see you.
Watts: Cinder.
Cinder grabs Watts' hand and helps him up, letting him lean on her.
Watts: What are you-
Cinder covers his mouth with her Grimm arm, cutting his sentence short.
Cinder: It's my turn to ask for something.
She raises Watts onto her shoulders in a fireman's lift, then heads for the hole she blasted in the wall. A trio of Atlesian soldiers burst into the room, two with rifles and the third with a rocket launcher.
Soldier: It's her!
Cinder scoffs as the soldiers aim their weapons at her. Flames burst into existence at her feet, and she propels herself past the soldiers just as they fire their weapons. An explosion can be heard from inside the room as she zooms out into the Atlesian sky, giving one last smug look back.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This is the 100th episode of RWBY. RWBY is the second animated Rooster Teeth series to reach 100 episodes after Red vs. Blue.
- Originally they were not planning on making a horror episode in this Volume. The episode was limited to one location mostly out of necessity for the sake of production costs, and while discussing how to make the episode interesting it was decided that being trapped in a big house with their brand new scary Hound Grimm would be pretty cool.[1]
- Kerry Shawcross described this episode as being a "ship in a bottle" episode with a largely self-contained plot. When it was decided that it would be a horror episode, the writing duties were given to Miles Luna by default.[2]
- Miles Luna stated that he thinks that he was playing a lot of "Resident Evil" at the time of writing for the episode, which helped with inspiration for the horror aspect for it.[3]
- The scene where Cinder pulls Watts out of the rubble was originally placed right after the explosion at the prison. Dustin Matthews decided to use it as the last scene of the episode instead.[4]
- When Dustin Mathews received the script for this episode, he went on a several month long binge of as many horror movies as he could to help him prepare to direct the episode which eventually drove his wife crazy.[5]
- The green bloodstains on everyone's clothes get gradually dimmer as they dry throughout the episode. This was mostly done because they didn't want "fluorescent greenscreen" blotches on the characters constantly. In order for this change to be noticeable with the different lighting levels, the saturation of the splotches needed to be adjusted constantly per scene.[6]
- Miles Luna stated that this was a fun episode to write because they set up and payed off a number of different elements within this episode which included Willow's security system, the backup generator and Penny's green blood which the Hound tracked.[7]
- The side shot of Ruby and Blake running to the generator shed is designed to emphasize how big the stakes are and how small and alone Team RWBY is.[8]
- The scene between Ruby and Blake in the generator shed was added because the pair has had rather limited screen time in previous Volumes, which Miles Luna stated was one of the more justified criticisms from over the years.[9]
- Miles wanted to create emotional whiplash when the scene between Ruby and Blake went from "heartfelt hugs to dear God horror" with the Hound's arrival.[10]
- The Hound ambushing Ruby and Blake and later stalking Whitley was inspired by Jurrasic Park.[11]
- Dustin Matthews stated that the shot of Weiss trying to summon a Nevermore is a "ripoff of Game of Thrones".[12]
- The chess set in the manor shakes as the Hound passes it. This simple effect required more work than one might expect because the chess board and all of its pieces were originally one model and had to be separated so that the pieces could move individually.[13]
- Miles Luna likes to think that Weiss wanted to say "down, boy!" after saving Willow and Whitley from the Hound, but chose to call back to what her mother had said before instead.[14]
- The choir in the score that plays on the Hound's reveal was created by Alex Abraham using the Voxos Epic Choir software. While not being any specific language, the choir is shown to have an intended meaning that is not to be taken as lyrics to the piece. The intended meaning for the piece is not canonical representation or reflection of any presumed insight about the characters.[15]
- Voxos Gibberish: Tu, "Sivo-Eisa Voria", Sarehma tayka me. Donu frayst vo me, donu cri... U-tu sivo-eisa me.
- Intended Lyrics: You, silver-eyed warrior, Salem took me. Don't fret for me, don't cry... Your silver eyes saw me.
- This episode reveals that Silver Eyes are not limited to just humans, but to Faunus as well.
See Also[]
Image Gallery[]
- Main article: Dark/Image Gallery
References[]
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary Chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary chapter 8
- ↑ Alex's Twitter
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