Sphinxes[1] are large, flying feline Creatures of Grimm that first appeared in "Argus Limited" along with the Manticores.
Appearance[]
Sphinxes are large and slender Grimm with feline bodies and large feathered wings. They have a round head with a very short, somewhat narrow snout and a four-crested bone mask that takes the form of some feline. Each paw has three toes, and their tail is a white snake. The Sphinx's mane appears to resemble human hair, as shown in its concept art.
Ice Sphinxes in Solitas have parts of their skin frozen, including their fur and feathers, due to the extremely cold weather in the tundra. The are also shown to have more armor around their limbs.
History[]
A Sphinx attacks the Argus Limited, along with multiple Manticores as the train makes its way through the snowy mountainous region of Anima, on its way from the city of Mistral to Argus. The creature is eventually grounded and killed by the combined efforts of Team RWBY and Qrow Branwen. Unfortunately, it readies itself to launch a fireball as it dies, which hits the train track in front of the train, destroying it and sending the train cars off the rail.
They are later seen attacking Argus alongside the Leviathan. It is assumed that the Atlas military successfully defends the city from their invasion.
Ice Sphinxes are once again seen in "The Enemy of Trust", amongst the swarm of Grimm that arrived in Atlas with Salem and were shown flying in the skies of Atlas In "Refuge".
Powers and Abilities[]
Sphinxes seem to be powerful a Grimm species, as one gave Qrow issue in a battle, requiring the aid of Team RWBY to defeat it. They are larger and more agile than Manticores in the air, and similarly share the ability to spew fireballs from their mouths. The Sphinx's tail is a white snake that appears to have a mind of its own, attacking independently and granting the Sphinx a wider range of vision. They also appear to have more intelligence than other Grimm, commanding and coordinating the Manticores around it.
Trivia[]
- A Sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion most commonly known from Greek and Egyptian mythology. Their Grimm counterpart more closely resembles the Greek version, the Chimera; as it features a lion's body, bird wings, and a snake-headed tail, but lacks a woman's head.
- The Sphinx's command scream is based on editor/co-director Connor Pickens as he recorded a placeholder voice for Weiss screaming in "The Coming Storm".[2]
- In the same episode they make their debut in, one is found commanding a group of Manticores. Both are feline based, have bird-like wings and are capable of shooting fireballs from their mouths.
References[]
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