Remnant

Remnant is the main setting of the RWBY series. Created by The Gods long ago, it is a future-fantasy world filled with airships, gadgets, high-tech weaponry and a form of natural energy called Dust existing side by side.

Geography[]

The four Kingdoms of Remnant are Vale (center), Vacuo (west), Atlas (north) and Mistral (east). Each of the Kingdoms has its own distinct culture - for example, Atlas was known for its martial nature and technological advancement, and Vacuo for its rough-and-tumble lifestyle.

Vale was located on the continent called Sanus, with Vacuo on its opposite end. Mistral is on the continent of Anima. Atlas was on the continent of Solitas. Vytal is the name of the island to the north of Vale. Other known landmasses include Menagerie, the continent to the bottom right.

The last dragon-shaped continent (to the west of Vale, north of Vacuo) remains unidentified. Although its southern region was apparently at one point inhabited, no settlements are currently known to exist on the continent.^[1] The majority of the continent is geographically darkened for unknown reasons.

There are also smaller islands around the larger continents. However, it is currently unknown if any of them are inhabited or part of the Kingdoms.

With the destruction of Atlas and Vale in "The Final Word" and the "Volume 9 Bonus Ending Animatic" respectively, Mistral and Vacuo are currently the only Kingdoms left in Remnant.

Constellations[]

According to 18th Anniversary Star Chart T-Shirt, Remnant follows several Grimm-themed constellations in their northern skies. There are six major constellations in total, and they are as follows:

• January–February: Nuckelavee
• March–April: Cenitaur
• May–June: Sabyr
• July–August: Wyvern
• September–October: Sea Feilong
• November–December: Monstra

History[]

See also: Remnant Timeline

Legends[]

According to Ozpin, the race known as Humanity was created by two brothers. The narration in "Ruby Rose" states that the early history of Remnant has been long forgotten, with recollections being passed down in the form of myths and legends.

Legend states that mankind was born from dust into a hostile world, forced to battle for survival against soulless creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, man discovered a power that would help them combat the forces of darkness; they named their newly discovered power, Dust, after that from which they were formed. Armed with Dust, described as "Nature's Wrath", mankind was able to turn the tide against the Grimm.

True History[]

In truth, before it was called that, the planet was originally created by the God of Light and God of Darkness following their departure from the Ever After to a "greater beyond". They later created Humanity as a joint project to bridge their differences and end their feud. Humanity existed alongside their creators for ages until a time when a young woman named Salem confronted the Gods, demanding that they bring her beloved Ozma back to life. After they refused, she tried to force the issue, only to be cursed with immortality.

Angry and frustrated, Salem spread the word to the various Kingdoms that they could overthrow the Gods, and take their powers for themselves. This got Humanity to rebel against their creators, but when they attempted to confront them, the God of Darkness effortlessly wiped them all out, leaving Salem as the lone survivor. The Gods then elected to leave, with the God of Darkness destroying the moon in the process, and leaving the world as a mere remnant of what it once was.

Eventually, Humanity recovered from its extinction and found themselves joined now by another intelligent race, the Faunus. However, the world was not the same, and without magic, they were vulnerable to the Grimm. To that end, they harnessed the power of Dust to defend themselves. Alongside Dust, they also possessed Aura, a form of innate energy that bestows its user with certain abilities and powers. Unique expressions of these abilities which are specific to individuals are known as Semblances.

Modern Times[]

In the absence of darkness, mankind was able to build civilization and spread throughout the world. The mining of Dust would continue to be a major industry, leading to the rise of large enterprises such as the Schnee Dust Company.

However, having survived the Grimm menace, Humanity began to turn against itself, spiraling into a series of self-destructive conflicts. The largest of these was the Great War, fought over issues of individualism and self-expression. Conflict also arose between the Humans and the subjugated Faunus, eventually sparking the Faunus Rights Revolution.

In the current day, most people live within the four Kingdoms - Vale, Mistral, Atlas and Vacuo. Through a combination of Human tenacity and the use of natural barriers, these settlements managed to survive and are regarded as "safe havens" and "beacons of hope" for Humanity. Small villages and nomadic communities do exist outside of the territories of the main Kingdoms, though they are noted as being far more vulnerable to Grimm attacks. This serves to emphasize that Remnant is not a particularly welcoming world to Humans and Faunus.

Following the Great War, Huntsman Academies, such as Beacon Academy, were created to train Huntsmen and Huntresses, warriors whose sole purpose was to combat the Grimm using a combination of powerful weapons, Aura and Dust. In doing so, they protect those who cannot protect themselves from the dangers of Remnant.

The population of Remnant in the modern era is stated to be in the millions by Oscar Pine during his argument with James Ironwood in "The Enemy of Trust".

In "The Final Word", the Kingdom of Atlas ceased to exist when the floating city of Atlas crashed into Mantle destroying them both. However, due to a message sent throughout Remnant by Ruby Rose about the threat of Salem, the remaining Kingdoms’ forces arrived in Vacuo to prepare for her as seen in "Of Solitude and Self".

In the "Volume 9 Bonus Ending Animatic", it is revealed that the Kingdom of Vale was destroyed by Salem during her search for the Relic of Choice.

Politics[]

While the Kingdoms of Remnant were monarchies in the past, they have since been dissolved some point following the Great War and the founding of the Huntsmen Academies in favor of each Kingdom being governed by its own council.

In the World of Remnant episode, "Kingdoms", a brief description is given on how the Kingdoms are governed - each Kingdom has a governing council that represents the needs of their people. The powers and responsibilities of these councils, as well as how members are appointed, was not stated. However, it was later revealed that the Headmaster of each Huntsman Academy has one seat on the council. The exception to this was in Atlas, where the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, James Ironwood, had two council seats due to also being the General of the Atlas Military.

The councilmembers are voted for by the citizens of the Kingdom in the form of an election. Robyn Hill and Jacques Schnee both ran for a seat on the Atlas council. The council also operated under a Checks-and-Balances system to keep members from abusing their power. Becoming a councilmen grants them privileges, such as when Jacques gained access to the heating grid for Mantle.

In the area of security, they are known to have influence over the administration of the Huntsmen of academies - in "Breach", the council of Vale chastised Ozpin following a Grimm incursion into the city, and have demonstrated the authority to question his suitability as Headmaster of Beacon.

Some members of the council for each Kingdom have been shown to be corrupt, such as the former city manager of Vale Jimmy Vanille who was working with the Xiong Family to smuggle Dust into the city while secretly taking parts of those shipments for himself and a member of the Mistral council served as a contact to Jack Plum, a rival of Lil' Miss Malachite.

In the past, slavery was an allowed practice in some Kingdoms such as Mistral and Mantle. Following the end of the Great War, it has since been made illegal.

Apart from Huntsmen, conventional militaries are also known to exist, but not all of the Kingdoms keep standing armies. The Kingdom of Atlas was known to maintain a sizable military force, fielding a large air fleet, as well as robotic soldiers and mechs before its destruction.

Although the world was said to originally be in an unprecedented state of peace, social issues seriously threatened the status quo - racial tensions between the Faunus and Humans caused by continuing prejudice in society, the plots of various criminal organizations such as the Wave, the Hana Guild and The Crown, the immoral practices of the Schnee Dust Company, as well as agitation from the White Fang terrorist group, continued to cause friction in society. The Grimm still thrive in the wild areas outside the territory of the four Kingdoms, whilst plotting by mysterious groups threatened them from within. The narration of "Kingdoms" implied that the future of Humanity is heavily contingent upon the continued cooperation of the Four Kingdoms. Following Atlas' destruction however, only three of the remaining Kingdoms in the world remain.

Culture[]

See also: Food, Literature, Fairy Tales and Religion

Remnant has a vibrant culture owing to the diversity of its inhabitants. Each of the four Kingdoms has a unique identity and this distinctive character is encouraged by events such as the Vytal Festival, where the people of Remnant gather to celebrate their cultures.

Given the importance of Huntsmen and Huntresses in mankind's continued existence, part of this celebration also includes a combat tournament between students of the Kingdoms' respective academies.

Names[]

Main article: Color Naming Rule

A significant part of Remnant's worldwide culture is the practice of naming children after colors.

During the Great War, attempts by tyrannical oppressors to limit individualism and self-expression were met by a violent backlash from the populace. In response to persecutors' attempts to destroy art, people began to name their children after a fundamental element of art - color - sending the message that the next generation would also fight to prevent the destruction of their individuality.

After the end of the War and the defeat of this subjugation, the practice continued into the present day, and virtually all citizens of Remnant have names derived from colors. With only a few exceptions.

Discrimination[]

There is a significant amount of discrimination towards Faunus in Remnant's past and present. Since the Faunus War, in which they gained freedom by law, Faunus have continued to face discrimination and exploitation from Humans. Whether this is the norm or the actions of a minority is unknown; however, it is enough to cause some Faunus to turn to the terrorist group, the White Fang. The Kingdom of Mistral and the former Kingdom of Atlas are considered the most discriminatory towards the Faunus, having signs in many of their establishments labeled "No Faunus", though this began to change in Mistral following the Battle of Haven. The Schnee Dust Company was also known for mistreating its Faunus workers such as Adam Taurus, who was branded with the company logo on his face.

By contrast, Remnant appears to be a very egalitarian world when it comes to the sexes, as seen at Beacon Academy. Both sexes share locker rooms, and teams that have both sexes in them share dorm rooms. There never appears to be animosity from men towards women or women towards men on the basis of sex.

Marriage[]

Different cultures/Kingdoms have different ways of expressing their bonds to other people, and there is no set standard for that across Remnant. Most often it comes to incorporating it on their clothes/person in some way, usually through color. An example of that are Ghira and Kali Belladonna who wear arm bands in each other's colors on their arms.^[2]

Class System[]

The people of Remnant have been shown to have different class systems in their Kingdoms. The upper class citizens of Mistral were shown to live in the higher sections of the capital city which were clean and pristine. Meanwhile, the lower class citizens lived in the lower slums of the capital city which were full of criminals like Lil' Miss Malachite.

In Atlas, it appeared the same, with the upper class of Atlas such as the Schnee family living in luxury and comfort, while the lower class citizens that lived in Mantle fell on hard times. After returning from Vale and witnessing the Fall of Beacon first-hand, both Weiss Schnee and General James Ironwood were disgusted at the behavior of the upper class.

Wildlife[]

In addition to the Humans, Faunus, and Creatures of Grimm, Remnant is also home to a number of different animal species some of which resemble normal everyday species such as Corgis while others are more unnatural having either mutated or evolved to survive the harshest of environments. Vacuo is arguably where this is most common as there are number of unique species such as the Mole Crabs and Flatback Sliders.

Technology[]

Remnant has a wide variety of advanced technologies. The Kingdom of Atlas, in particular, is known for its technological advances in numerous fields. Most technology is powered by Dust, which is the primary source of energy in Remnant. One of the most significant examples of Remnant's technology are the weapons of Huntsmen and Huntresses that transform for versatility.

The field of robotics, as well as artificial intelligence, is incredibly advanced in Remnant with Atlesian combat androids used throughout the world. Large human-controlled mechanical suits, such as the Atlesian Paladin-290 are also produced by Atlas. The most advanced achievement in the field of robotics is Penny Polendina, the first and currently only such robot capable of generating Aura.

Prosthetics are also used by the general population, with incredible ranges of cybernetics available, from cybernetic limbs to eyes or full body torsos.

Communication and data transmission over vast distances are also possible through the use of the Cross Continental Transmit System. The CCTS was created by the Kingdom of Atlas following the Great War as a gift to enable the Kingdoms to communicate with each other.

Advanced personal electronics are also commonplace. The Scroll is a mobile device that serves multiple purposes, including making phone calls, taking photographs, viewing live video feeds, as a form of personal identification, and as a digital data storage device and are capable of monitoring a combatant's aura. Holograms are also common, being used as personal avatars, computer displays, and even as traffic lights and barriers.

In terms of transportation, land-based transports include standard motor vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles and trains, as well as non-motor vehicles, such as bicycles. Airborne vehicles include enormous passenger Airships, agile VTOL aircraft known as Bullheads, and hoverboards. However, spaceflight is impossible since Dust loses its power once it leaves the atmosphere.

Locations[]

Minor Locations

Remnant: The Game[]

Main article: Remnant: The Game

Remnant: The Game is a strategy board game based on a map of Remnant. Players control one of the four Kingdoms and aim to eliminate other players. Team RWBY plays the game in "Welcome to Beacon".

Conception[]

The world map of RWBY was created by Monty Oum in 2012. It was based on ketchup smears made on a napkin he was using while at IHOP. Monty also stated that he textured the World Map by taking different pictures of food. The different foods he used included mashed potatoes, steaks, ice cream, bread, corn, cereal, ramen, shrimp, tacos, pizza, lettuce and possibly bacon.

Monty revealed his design in Rooster Teeth's 191st podcast on November 14th, 2012.^[5][6] He reveals and explains his first drafts of the map starting at around 9:00 in the video.

His creation of the map started with him going to IHOP and squirting ketchup on a napkin then randomizing the blots to form the continents, which he then scanned and edited via Photoshop as a base for the world map.

Trivia[]

• The Kingdoms of Remnant are inspired and take elements from real world countries and cultures.
  • The City of Vale was designed with old European architecture in mind. ^[7][8]
  • Mistral is inspired by Eastern cultures, Greece and the Roman empire.
    • Argus is primarily inspired by both Greece and San Francisco. As such, Pyrrha Nikos is inspired by Greece and Neptune is inspired by Roman aesthetic.
    • In "Family", Port says "Mistral wasn't built in a day", referencing the common phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day".
    • Mistral's architecture, fashion, and names are predominantly referenced to East Asian cultures such as Japan, Korea, and China.^[9][10]
    • The visual style of Mistral is inspired by Eastern cultures as well as the city of Ba Sing Se from Avatar: The Last Airbender.^[11]
    • Most of the villages in Anima are named after East Asian Flowers.^[12]
  • The Kingdom of Atlas was described as "The America of Remnant" and compared to the products of Apple".^[13]
    • The commentary describes Mantle as more utilitarian looking and compared to the movie Blade Runner, while Atlas was made to look like it was created by Apple. Two different futuristic looks.^[14]
    • The Kingdom of Atlas represents two different versions of America with Mantle representing the cities and Atlas representing technology.
• The combat schools in each Kingdom have a naming pattern.
  • As seen with Beacon, Signal and Pharos, combat schools in Vale seem to be named after buildings or devices made to navigate, communicate or attract attention. This foreshadows the Grimm being attracted to the petrified Wyvern on the ruins of Beacon following the Fall of Beacon.
  • As seen with Haven and Sanctum, combat schools in Mistral seem to be named after places of privacy, safety and refuge. This foreshadows that Haven was ironically compromised due to Leonardo Lionheart becoming a traitor.
  • As seen with Shade and Oscuro, combat schools in Vacuo seem to be named after darkness and shelter from sunlight.
  • Atlas and Mantle, despite not being exclusively combat schools, carry names implying a great burden or responsibility. This foreshadows their eventual destruction when Atlas crashed into Mantle.
• Although Menagerie is not officially recognized as a Kingdom, it is shown to have a core city and external settlements and its own map color.
• While Remnant has many similarities to the real world, there are some differences between them. One example would be that pinatas don't exist in Remnant.^[15]
• Remnant has a long, rich history that has been lost to the current inhabitants, hinted at by the quote, "Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past".
• Remnant was previously called Vytal. When it was changed to Remnant, Vytal became the name of the continent on which Vale is located (now Sanus).^[16] Later it was changed again, and Vytal became the island north of Vale.
• Similarly to both the Qrow Branwen and Cinder Fall pages, an account registered as Montyoum made an edit to this page on November 10th, 2013. This changed the name of the world from the then-accepted "Vytal", to the now-accepted "Remnant".
• Two of the landmasses in the final version of the map closely resemble dragons (both Eastern and Western styled), having serpentine-like bodies with what resembles wings, horns and jaws.
  • According to the Fairy Tale The Two Brothers, the dragon continents were formed by the God of Light and God of Darkness after they chose to fall asleep and wait for the time The Gods are called forth by the 4 Relics. However, the event's of The Lost Fable show that this isn't what actually happened.
• The dragon-shaped continent in the northwest has yet to be named, or even mentioned, either in the main story or in any World Of Remnant episodes.
• In "The Lost Fable" the God of Light refers to Remnant as having been "a beautiful experiment". The full implications of this statement are currently unknown.
  • The Blacksmith's assertions that the Brothers left the Ever After to create new worlds implies that Remnant is just one of countless different worlds that the Brothers have created over the eons. Aside from the Ever After, none of these other worlds have yet to make an appearance in the series.
• The Ever After was originally conceived during the production of Volume 2 when it was envisioned as a place on Remnant. However, it was later changed into it's own world instead.^[17]
• It's unknown if Remnant posesses techtonic plates.

Image Gallery[]

Official Media[]

A terrain map of Remnant

The map of Remnant

The inspiration for the world

A pixel art map of Remnant, featuring locations of places and kingdoms, from the Official RWBY Twitter

Screenshots[]

A map of Remnant

Oobleck's map of Remnant

An angled view of the board of Remnant: The Game.

Another view of the Remnant: The Game board.

From "Welcome to Beacon"

From "Welcome to Beacon"

From "Welcome to Beacon"

World of Remnant[]

The approximate locations of the Kingdoms of Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, and Vale.

From "Kingdoms"

From "Kingdoms"

Map from "Vytal Festival Tournament"

The Kingdoms' symbols and colors, in the World of Remnant episode "Huntsmen"

Map with city locations and Kingdom borders.

DC Comics[]

Map of World of Remnant seen in the comic.

References[]