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If you think Dust is all Vacuo has to offer, then what are you doing here? After your response this morning, I had hoped you thought better of your new home than that.
—Rumpole

Overview History



Xanthe Rumpole is a professor at Shade Academy and the right-hand woman of Professor Theodore. She sent Team CFVY on an away mission in response to a distress call from a desert settlement.[1] As shown in RWBY: Before the Dawn, she is the history teacher at Shade.

Appearance[]

Rumpole is described as a woman with a deep tan, whose age is hard to tell due to her short stature, standing at about four feet tall, and of her fine features and mischievous expression. Rumpole's sandy brown hair reaches her ankles, in a long braid bound by a golden cord. She has a wide, squarish frame that exaggerates her shortness, and she wears brown pants with a loose, dark green tunic cinched with a brown leather belt at her waist.

The most notable part of Rumpole's outfit is a sleeveless long coat, dark brown and coarse on the outside with glittering flecks, speculated by Coco Adel to be pyrite-infused rocks or cloth studded with Dust and a silky, gold lining. Coco describes it as both rustic and gaudy and likely costing a fortune.

Personality[]

Coco describes Rumpole as somebody who is similar to Glynda Goodwitch, with a stern and harsh personality, though not someone who's overly cruel. She is said to be very stylish and is the only Huntress other than Glynda who Coco seeks approval of. She is trusted by Theodore, serving as his right-hand woman. Furthermore, Rumpole is shown to be the one person who is able to put Theodore in his place, keeping him from challenging students to brawls.

She's also implied to be very skilled when it comes to the art of detective work as she mentions that she'll be doing her own private investigation into The Crown’s criminal activities.

Xanthe is also very secretive, keeping very little traces of her history public, as well as her first name, something not even Theodore knew for years.

Rumpole is a relentless teacher, with the ideology of pushing her students to the breaking point so that they can be vicious enough to survive in Vacuo without needing anybody’s help. This includes having other students beat on their peers until they’re out of Aura, and picking on students she deems to be weak.

Rumpole believes that Remnant is due for another global war, abruptly swapping her class' studies from the foundations of Shade Academy to the Great War. She is aware of Salem’s existence and has taken to being extra cruel to her students after Haven Academy’s fall so that they can be prepared for her inevitable arrival.

Upon being freed of The Crown's influence, Rumpole was horrified at the prospect of her actions putting students in danger, showing that she does care for their well-being, despite her strict methods.

Powers and Abilities[]

Being an experienced Huntress, Rumpole is a very capable fighter. Overwhelming Yatsuhashi, Neptune, and Fox simultaneously with ease. She has impressive physical strength, cracking the floor beneath her with one stomp. Rumpole can also toss her weapon with enough force to knock down larger opponents like Yatsuhashi.

Weapon[]

Rumpole's Weapon is a spiked wheel that is kept hidden beneath her hair. The golden cord that keeps her braid bound is a part of the wheel, which she can use to spin and find at will. Rumpole can also use the cord to bind targets.

Semblance[]

Main article: Golden Touch

Rumpole's Semblance is Golden Touch, where she is able to transform matter into gold upon physical touch. This is best shown when she turns one of Carmine's sai into gold, rendering it useless, or when she turns Neptune's jacket into solid gold. The effect is irreversible.

Trivia[]

Allusion[]

  • Rumpole alludes to Rumpelstiltskin, a popular fairy tale.
    • Her name Rumpole is the first half of the character's full name Rumpelstiltskin.
    • Her weapon can be a reference to Rumplestiltskin, with her wheel and golden corde weapon being an allusion to the spindle wheel used by Rumplestilskin to turn the straw into gold.
    • Rumpole's Semblance may be another reference to Rumplestiltskin, as she is able to change things into gold just like the titular character who could spin straw into gold.
      • It may also be a reference to King Midas, who wished to be able to turn anything he wanted to gold just by touching it, exactly how Rumpole's Semblance functions.

Color Naming Rule[]

  • The name Rumpole may come from the Norman personal name Rumbald, composed of the Germanic elements rum 'wide', 'spacious' (or, more plausibly, a byform of hrum 'renown') + bald 'bold', 'brave'.
  • The name 'Xanthe' is a female name meaning 'golden,' and is of Greek origin.
  • Yatsuhashi's nickname "Goldie" comes from the color gold.
  • Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn, evoking golden colors.
  • Cressida is a medieval English name originating from the Greek name Chryseis. In Greek Mythology, Chryseis was the daughter of Chryses (meaning 'golden'), and she was named in honor of her father. Cressida, therefore, means 'golden'.

References[]

Characters
BRIR
RWBY/Justice League
Super Heroes and Huntsmen
Other
Minor Characters
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