- For the World of Remnant episode of the same name, see Huntsmen (WoR episode).
A Huntsman and Huntress fighting the Grimm
Huntsmen and Huntresses are licensed[1] elite warriors dedicated to slaying the Creatures of Grimm and whose duty is to "uphold the peace" of their world.
Following the Great War's conclusion on the island of Vytal, the occupation of Huntsman was created alongside the Huntsman academies. These academies were charged to train the elite warriors whose role was to safeguard mankind's future.
Training
Beacon Academy is a premier Huntsman Academy
Those who wish to become Huntsmen or Huntresses often first attend primary combat schools like Sanctum Academy (of Mistral) or Signal Academy (located in Patch), which are designed to show new students the fundamentals of combat, weapon crafting and the applications of Dust and Aura in the battlefield. However, those who have honed their skills on their own can skip this step and apply directly, one example being Blake Belladonna.
Potential applicants must then pass a rigorous entrance exam, and those that pass can attend Huntsman Academies, whose sole purpose is to train the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses who will in turn live and die to defend the four kingdoms and the lifestyles they have become accustomed to.
Four kingdoms, four academies
The Primary Combat schools and the Kingdoms they correspond to are:
- Vale - Signal Academy; Pharos Academy
- Mistral - Sanctum Academy
- Vacuo - Oscuro Academy
The four main Huntsman academies and the Kingdoms they correspond to are:
- Vale - Beacon Academy
- Mistral - Haven Academy
- Vacuo - Shade Academy
- Atlas (formerly Mantle) - Atlas Academy (formerly Alsius)
An advertisement for Atlas Academy
Trainees are generally admitted at age 17 and complete a four-year course before graduating, however, some students, such as Ruby Rose, have been admitted at ages as young as 15.
Trainees are grouped into teams of four, with the intention of fostering empathy and teamwork, as well as lasting bonds, between team members – qualities considered of great importance for future Huntsmen and Huntresses. These teams may stay intact after graduation, but teams are also known to disband as their members pursue solo careers.
The course at Beacon Academy includes history lessons and studies of the Grimm. The more active component includes field trips to potentially dangerous locations, sparring matches with other students, as well as an opportunity to participate in the Vytal Festival Tournament and spar with students from other academies. Students also go on actual missions commensurate to their skill level as part of their training; first-years are accompanied by a professional Huntsman, whilst second years and above may go on high-risk missions alone.
Most, but not all, Huntsmen have discovered their Semblance.[2]
Huntsman License
Ren's license
Upon acceptance into one of the academies, prospective students are granted a student huntsman license they can access through their scrolls. Upon graduation, this student license is updated to a full professional huntsmen license.
Both student and professional licenses contain the same information. Their only difference is that a student license is labeled as a "Student License", while pro licenses bear either "Huntsman License" or "Huntress Licence" depending on the gender of the huntsman.
A huntsman license includes the Huntsman's:
- Photograph
- Full name, in print and as a bar code
- Fifteen Digit Huntsman ID number
- Emblem
- Kingdom which issued the license
- Huntsman academy attended
- Any restrictions the Huntsman may have.
Some especially gifted huntsmen can acquire their licenses by taking a licensing exam, forgoing the need to attend the academies.
Employment
Graduate Huntsmen find employment through mission boards
After graduation, the founders of the academies intended that the allegiance of a Huntsman or Huntress would not be tied to a specific Kingdom. With their Huntsmen licenses, graduates are granted the freedom to choose whom they work for as well as the nature of their work. Huntsmen find employment through the use of mission boards. This approach is not without problems, however, as Huntsmen are known to be employed for disreputable purposes on occasion.
This separation of Huntsmen and Kingdom allegiance was intended as a measure to ensure peace. However, the Kingdom of Atlas does not appear to uphold this distinction. Not only does Atlas Academy exist as the same entity as the Kingdom of Atlas' government, but students are heavily pressured into enlisting in the military's Special Operatives unit, which has drawn significant criticism. Winter Schnee is one notable example of a "Specialist" in the Atlesian military.
Missions
A mission board detailing Mistral's bounty missions
Mission boards detail the type of mission, a short description of the task, where the task is needed and how soon the mission will start. Mission boards also detail a mission's status after someone accepts it. There are many different types of missions for Huntsmen and Huntresses to undertake. The currently known types of missions available to Huntsmen and Huntresses include:
- Search and Rescue - Finding missing person(s) or recovering missing supplies
- Search and Destroy - Clearing out Grimm when their infestations grow too large
- Perimeter Defense - Fortifying walls and defenses to keep Grimm out of the kingdom and city limits
- Village Security - Helping a village (not established as one of four kingdoms) fight off Grimm
- Bounty - Capturing wanted criminal(s)
- Escort - Helping civilians move through Grimm infested areas
Notable Huntsmen and Huntresses
Team RWBY
- Ruby Rose - The leader of Team RWBY and a Silver-Eyed Warrior. Former Beacon student.
- Weiss Schnee - Daughter of Jacques Schnee, Ex-heiress of Schnee Dust Company and former Beacon student.
- Blake Belladonna - A Faunus and Ex-White Fang member who defected after the organisation became more extremist. Former Beacon student.
- Yang Xiao Long - Daughter of notorious bandit Raven Branwen and Ruby's older sister who lost her right arm at the fall of Beacon. Former Beacon student.
Team JNR
- Jaune Arc - The leader of Team JNR. Unlike the other students, he did not undergo any combat school or training prior to Beacon and entered the school using false documents. Former Beacon student.
- Nora Valkyrie - A homeless orphan rescued by Ren during a massacre at Kuroyuri. Former Beacon student.
- Lie Ren - A survivor of a massacre by a Nuckelavee Grimm at Kuroyuri that took the lives of his family. Former Beacon student.
Beacon Academy staff
- Glynda Goodwitch - Staff member and current Headmistress of Beacon Academy; she is the first known Huntress to make an appearance in the series. She is also a member of Ozpin's Group.
- Ozpin - Former headmaster of Beacon Academy. He is the leader of Ozpin's Group.
- Peter Port - Huntsman and a long-time associate of Professor Ozpin. He was the Grimm Studies and Military Strategy professor at Beacon Academy.
- Bartholomew Oobleck - History and Legends of Remnant teacher at Beacon Academy.
Atlas
- James Ironwood - Headmaster of Atlas Academy and a general in the Atlesian military. He holds two seats on the Atlas Council and is a member of Ozpin's Group.
- Winter Schnee - Specialist in the Atlesian military and an Atlas Academy graduate.
- Clover Ebi - Specialist in the Atlesian military, an Atlas Academy graduate, and leader of the Ace Operatives
- Elm Ederne - Specialist in the Atlesian military, an Atlas Academy graduate, and member of the Ace-Ops
- Harriet Bree - Specialist in the Atlesian military, an Atlas Academy graduate, and member of the Ace-Ops
- Marrow Amin - Specialist in the Atlesian military, an Atlas Academy graduate, and member of the Ace-Ops
- Vine Zeki - Specialist in the Atlesian military, an Atlas Academy graduate, and member of the Ace-Ops
- Robyn Hill - a Mantle politician, Atlas Academy graduate, and the leader of the Happy Huntresses
- Fiona Thyme - a member of the Happy Huntresses
- May Marigold - a member of the Happy Huntresses
- Joanna Greenleaf - a member of the Happy Huntresses
Mistral
- Leonardo Lionheart † - Headmaster of Haven Academy.
Team STRQ
- Summer Rose † - Ruby's birth mother, Yang's stepmother and Taiyang's second significant other. She went missing in action during a mission and is presumed dead by her family. Beacon Academy graduate.
- Taiyang Xiao Long - Ruby and Yang's father. He is a teacher at Signal Academy. Beacon Academy graduate.
- Raven Branwen - Yang's mother and Taiyang's first significant other. She disappeared shortly after Yang's birth to lead the Branwen Tribe. Beacon Academy graduate.
- Qrow Branwen - Yang's maternal uncle and Ruby's honorary uncle. He was a teacher at Signal Academy, and a member of Ozpin's Group. Beacon Academy graduate.
Vacuo
- Carmine Esclados - A rogue veteran Huntress and Shade Academy graduate.
- Bertilak Celadon - A rogue veteran Huntsman and Shade Academy graduate
- Edward Caspian - An elderly veteran Huntsman
- Theodore - Headmaster of Shade Academy.
Other
- Maria Calavera - A former Silver-Eyed Warrior who was a legend in her day under the alias, the Grimm Reaper. She lost her eyes in a fight against Tock, and had spent decades in hiding since.
Trivia
- Huntsmen and Huntresses are a form of celebrities in Remnant. This is evident when Ruby asks for Glynda's autograph, when Jaune refers to his family as famous heroes and the RWBY: World of Remnant episode "Aura" explains that they are widely regarded as the world's greatest warriors. Even Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, like Coco Adel and the members of Team SSSN, are known to have dedicated fans among the spectators of the Vytal Festival.
- Team RWBY's Huntress License ID numbers likely allude to Rooster Teeth's address when they created "RWBY".
References
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