Events[]
Battles[]
Background[]
Little is known of Adam's early history, although at some point in his life, Adam was part of the Faunus labor force that served the Schnee Dust Company. According to RWBY: Amity Arena, at some point during his service, Adam was branded with the SDC logo on his face, scarring him and seemingly blinding his left eye.[1] According to Miles Luna, this was a result of an argument with somebody at a Schnee Dust Company Mine, though he also expresses this as head canon and "technically not canon."[2]
Fueled by this inhumane treatment, and his growing personal vendetta, Adam found the home he was looking for in the White Fang, where he was accepted and loved; his happily ever after.[3]
Volume 6 Adam Character Short[]
Adam began to wear a mask all the time, especially while fighting Humans, inspiring his peers. He also began to kill Humans on White Fang missions, including one instance that saved the life of Ghira. Blake expressed doubt on how many "accidental" deaths he had been causing while the new White Fang leader, Sienna, praised how valuable he was becoming.
- Media Covering These Events
Encounter with Cinder[]
Blake described him as having gradually become a monster. This change started around the time when the White Fang began using terrorism to further its newer and older agendas under Sienna Khan's leadership. Adam, though initially pensive towards killing, gradually became a merciless and sadistic killer who utterly despises Humans, willing to slaughter anyone he perceives as an opponent, including other Faunus. The night before the raid on the train, Cinder's Faction approached him in his camp with a proposal for an alliance which she believed would help both their groups. He promptly refused, citing the unnecessary risk of his men dying for a Human cause.
- Episodes Covering These Events
"Black" Trailer[]
Adam and Blake raid a cargo train.
On a mission with Blake, he jumped inside the car of a passing train with her. Together, they found themselves surrounded by a squad of Atlesian Knight-130s and fought their way through. A Spider Droid also attacked the pair. The two unsuccessfully fought the droid and Adam was forced to save Blake when it nearly stepped on her. Having learned that he intended to set off a bomb that would kill the innocent Humans on board, Blake took advantage of him being distracted while defeating the Spider Droid to escape to the next car and detach it from the one Adam was on.
- Media Covering These Events
Forceful Obedience[]
After Blake's desertion, Adam decided to cease any pursuit of her and focus on returning to Mistral before being interrupted by Cinder Fall and her underlings returning and injuring most of the White Fang members in the encampment. He was forced to accept the offer, where he received Dust and funding to continue his operations instead of being killed otherwise.
- Episodes Covering These Events
Praised by Sienna[]
In Mistral, Adam returns to the White Fang Throne Room, where he reports to High Leader Khan. There, Sienna praises Adam as an extraordinary resource to this organization, sending him back to Vale as the new leader of the White Fang's branch within the kingdom. As Adam takes his leave, Sienna promises him that if he continues down the path he's on he'll find himself alongside her in the throne.
- Media Covering These Events
RWBY[]
Invasion of Vale[]
Adam was seen briefly following the Grimm invasion, conversing with Cinder, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. When Mercury expressed doubt that the White Fang would listen to them again after the losses they suffered, Adam reassured the trio that the organization would listen to him.
- Episodes Covering These Events
- "Breach"
Attack on Beacon[]
After Cinder's broadcast, Adam arrived at Beacon Academy on a Bullhead, leading an attack force of White Fang soldiers and releasing captive Grimm into the school. After ruthlessly tossing aside an Atlas Soldier, he noticed Blake, whom he mockingly called "his darling."
He lectured Blake on the revolution they once planned to start together and accused Blake of becoming a coward. He then declared his intention to "light the fires of revolution" and threatened to execute a defenseless student from Atlas. Blake sprang into action to stop him, and the two former partners clashed swords.
Adam tormenting Blake during the attack on Beacon
However, he proceeded to kick her away and disarm her, stating that while her goal of peacefully striving towards equality is impossible, he could relate because he viewed his desire to be with her as impossible. When she shot at him, Adam simply absorbed the energy with his sword and declared that he would accomplish revenge by destroying her loved ones – starting with a nearby Yang Xiao Long.
He baited Yang by stabbing Blake in the hip, provoking her to angrily activate her Semblance and charge him. Empowered by his own Semblance, Adam intercepted her attack, drawing his sword at high speed and severing her arm with a single blow. As he approached Yang to finish her off, Blake crawled in between them to protect her. As he bemoaned why Blake must "hurt" him, he decapitated Blake - only to discover she used her Semblance as a diversion to escape. He calmly disposed of a Creep before walking away.
- Episodes Covering These Events
After the Fall of Beacon[]
The new leader of the White Fang
After the Fall of Beacon, Adam was recognized as one of its perpetrators and was reported to have resisted apprehension with brutal force. Adam arranged a meeting between Sienna, the leader of the White Fang, and Hazel Rainart, an associate of Salem. This was considered an act of loyalty to Salem's Inner Circle. Information from Ilia Amitola's Scroll, obtained by Blake and Sun, revealed that Adam was planning to overthrow Sienna as well as bring about the fall of Haven Academy.
During the meeting between Hazel and Sienna, he made good on his plans and launched a coup. As a result, Adam murdered Sienna and replaced her as High Leader of the White Fang. Hazel berated Adam for the murder, seeing it as needless. Adam casually stated that he disagreed as he sat on the throne previously held by Sienna.
After the coup, Adam sent a message to Corsac and Fennec Albain. Furious at the Belladonnas for publicly denouncing him, Adam ordered the Albains to have the family killed, save for Blake, who he wanted to be brought to him alive, saying he had a promise to keep.
Shortly after, the White Fang would receive word from either Hazel or Cinder's Faction about a change in their plans, complicating the White Fang's plot. Despite his soldiers being worried, Adam dismissed the idea of it going awry, completely oblivious that his assassination attempt backfired while stating that it was time he got what he deserved.
- Episodes Covering These Events
- "The Next Step"
- "Of Runaways and Stowaways"
- "Taking Control"
- "Dread in the Air"
- "Necessary Sacrifice"
- "Volume 6 Adam Character Short"
Attack on Haven[]
On the night of the full moon, Adam had the White Fang set up explosives throughout Haven Academy's perimeter, eager to see the school fall. Suddenly, Blake confronted him, and he was delighted that she seemed to turn herself in without him having to search for her. Adam was enraged, however, when the Menagerie Faunus, along with the Mistral police force, appeared, outnumbering him. Refusing to stand down, Adam pushed the button to detonate the explosives, only to discover Ilia had disabled them. He asked Hazel what to do, only for Hazel to tell him to fix the problem himself. Angered his plan was falling apart, Adam attacked Blake, but she dodged with her Semblance and knocked him to the ground. He then ordered the White Fang to kill their enemies, and a fight broke out in the Haven courtyard.
Adam is confronted by Blake
As Blake confronted him, Adam tried to intimidate her by preying on her fear of him, but to no avail. As Sun Wukong joined Blake, Adam found that the White Fang members were arrested and that he was alone. He briefly fought Blake and Sun before escaping. Blake saw through his plan, stating that he wanted to lure them away so he could pick them off. Soon afterward, in a nearby forest, Adam watched from the trees as Hazel and Mercury ran from Haven with an unconscious Emerald before going his own way.
- Episodes Covering These Events
The Personal Mission[]
Adam returned to his base only to be berated by his underlings, who were incensed at him abandoning their comrades at Haven. The conversation grew more heated until one of his subordinates pointed out that he retreated because of Blake, prompting him to murder everyone in the audience chamber. Adam pondered about Blake, then vandalized his own throne and screamed in rage over the humiliation he believed she had caused him. He later discarded his mask while staggering through the woods, alone.
One month after the Battle of Haven, Adam's picture was among those labeled as those behind the attack.
Adam tracked down Team RWBY and followed them as they departed Mistral for Argus, hoping to catch and confront Blake when she was alone. He was spotted once, by Blake on the Argus Limited. However, he disappeared so quickly that she dismissed him as a hallucination. Days later, Adam cornered Blake atop the radar tower in Argus. The two engaged in a duel, which went through several levels of the tower. Eventually, Adam managed to grab Blake by the neck, and both went over the railing, sending both plummeting to the forest below. Blake tried to reason with Adam, but to no avail, as Adam vowed to never let her go again.
Resuming their battle, Blake and Adam exchanged blows in which Blake managed to hold her own for a while. She then tried to get some distance between them, with Adam in hot pursuit. Adam sent Wilt spiraling into Gambol Shroud, knocking Blake off course and sending her flying straight into him. The former High Leader slashed at Blake only for her to use her tailcoat as a decoy before kicking him away and then shooting him.
Adam revealing his need for vengeance to Blake
The two took their fight to a nearby waterfall where Adam slowly gained the advantage, berating her all the while. When she was on the ground, Adam unleashed his Semblance, which broke Blake's weapon in two. Taking his blindfold off, Adam reveals the reason for his obsession for taking revenge on Blake. While Humans had hurt him physically, being abandoned hurt far worse. Adam then stabbed her in the gut, but soon saw it was a shadow clone. Before he could attack again, Bumblebee slammed into him from the cliff above. Rising to his feet, he saw Yang Xiao Long, who he recognized without question. When Yang offered to fill in for Blake, Adam agreed, seeking to finish what he started at Beacon. Adam struggled at first, taking a lot of hits while unable to land any decisive blow of his own. His superior abilities soon gave him the advantage, however, knocking Yang back near the edge of the cliff, and then unleashed a fully-powered Moonslice. The attack visibly damaged Yang's robotic arm, but she withstood the impact upright. Yang gave him one last chance to stand down, but Adam called her bluff, insinuating that she was afraid to die protecting Blake. Blake rebuked him, taking Yang's hand and stating they were protecting each other. Adam tried to manipulate them apart, implying Blake would abandon her promise to stay with Yang, as she had him. Yang retorted by asking if Blake had made that promise to Adam, or to the person he was pretending to be, at the time. When Adam's accusation that he "just wasn't good enough" for Blake failed to provoke her, he prepared to attack.
Blake and Yang fought Adam together, putting him on the defensive. Though when Blake careened toward him and collided sword with sword, Adam parried the blow and forcefully threw her back at the cliffside, breaking her Aura and knocking her out of the battle. Adam then focused on Yang and brought up the night at Beacon to weaken her resolve. Having done so, Adam pressed his advantage with a series of kicks and sword slashes. Though as he fight went on, Adam became further unhinged and he attacked recklessly. He lept in for one final strike but was caught off guard when Yang used her Semblance, catching his sword in her robotic arm. Her hair on fire, she jerked Adam forward before punching him hard in the stomach, which sent him flying back, carving a gash in the ground beneath him.
Death[]
Adam, fatally wounded
With both his and Yang's Auras exhausted, Adam watched as Yang threw his sword over the edge, prompting him to chase after it. He attempted to grab it, but Blake then sprang up and struck him with an uppercut, sending him stumbling back. He then stepped on Blake's broken weapon and immediately dashed for it. However, Blake was faster, and she and Yang stabbed cleanly through Adam with the broken blades of Gambol Shroud. Blood flowed from Adam's wounds, and after Yang and Blake removed the blades, he hobbled forward aimlessly. He dropped to his knees and fell into the water, smashing against the rocks during the fall.
- Episodes Covering These Events
References[]
- ↑ RWBY: Amity Arena Blade Dash Adam Card Bio
- ↑ RWBY: Volume 7 Director's Commentary – Chapter 3
- ↑ RWBY: Amity Arena Moonslice Adam Card Bio