About a year ago, I did an article of my favorite fights from Fairy Tail, an anime known for its great fights. Well, it just so happens that RWBY is also known for its incredible fight scenes (it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that RWBY is perhaps most known for its fights). So, I figured why not pull out another of these articles to go over my favorite battles from this excellent animated series! And, like with the Fairy Tail article, I’m bumping my usual Top Ten formula up to Fifteen to cover as many unforgettable showdowns as possible!
Let’s get into it!
15) Yang and Weiss vs Flynt and Neon
In essence, this is a fairly unimportant fight. It takes place in the midst of the Vytal Festival Tournament, which we know in hindsight is irrelevant because of Cinder’s attack. So the outcome of this fight hardly matters in terms of the plot. It also takes up about an entire episode’s worth of content that could’ve gone to shoring up a few other issues with the pacing in Volume Three. It establishes Yang’s over-reliance on taking hits and lashing out, but that’s about it.
But, those are just gripes about the fight’s narrative importance within the Volume Three framework. The actual fight itself is a blast to watch, and never fails to entertain even on re-watches. The way that Yang and Weiss underestimate their opponents and get split up and put on the backfoot is exciting, and Weiss sacrificing herself to give Yang an opening is a great character moment. Yang’s bombastic finish is awesome too, as are the multiple musical remixes through the fight (like Volume One’s opening in acapella, or Yang’s theme but jazzy).
14) RWBY and JNPR vs Grimm
While it’s hindered in a few ways by Volume One jankyness, this is still one of the most classic and memorable fights in the franchise. Teams RWBY and JNPR coming together to battle a gigantic Grimm scorpion and raven (a Deathbringer and Nevermore, for my fellow RWBY nerds) is a super exciting way to cap off the first half of the OG season, retaining interest even if the following few episodes disappointed.
My brother once described this fight as the moment he ‘got‘ RWBY, and I have to say that I agree. It’s all typical school-slice-of-life up to this point, but here is where you truly get to see the action roots of the show shine, and each character’s individual styles and influences blending into a single incredible result. It’s definitely the big hook of the first season, and if seeing Ruby dash up a cliff with Weiss’ runes and slice a big evil bird’s head off right at the apex of one of the show’s iconic vocal songs blaring in the background doesn’t hype you up…nothing will.
13) Qrow vs Winter
Yes, I’ll admit, it’s essentially just a fanservice fight. Qrow and Winter don’t really have a reason to duke it out other than to demonstrate the skill with which two hyper-competent adults can tear up a school courtyard with their feud. It’s a nice preview of where our teenaged heroines might end up one day. But the damage is undone without effort thanks to Glynda’s repairing Semblance, and the two settle their differences in a measured conversation right after, so I can grant a feeling of ‘cool, but why‘.
But, sometimes the Rule of Cool is justification enough (true story: RWBY‘s creator Monty Oum often credited ‘Rule of Cool‘ as his mantra for life)! Qrow and Winter manage to create one of the most entertaining fights in the whole show, backed up by excellent music and some great non-traditional character beats all the while (like Qrow being the one causing damage to the school while Winter dodges, or Winter’s anger blinding her to Qrow’s bait at the end). Also, Qrow and Winter were both on my Top 10 Favorite RWBY characters list, so this was kinda inevitable!
12) Qrow vs Tyrian
Moving from one Qrow fight to another, we get to the big clash he has with unhinged Salem-worshipping lunatic Tyrian in Volume Four. In a season with loads of pacing issues, exposition dumps, and just generally slow plotting (though it has its moments), this fight is a huge breath of fresh air. It’s just about the only battle that nears the peaks of the previous three season’s showdowns, and it does it with effortlessly entertaining aplomb.
Honestly, Qrow is just a really entertaining fighter to watch. He’s got a more wild and powerful style than Ruby, but he wields his scythe with no less expertise. Combined with Tyrian’s crazy capabilities, and you’ve got a match for the record books (I adore the bit where Tyrian uses his Faunus tail to glide along the floor while he shoots his guns backwards). It’s a very close fight too, which isn’t super common to see, and it really comes down to the wire with a decisive blow and shocking cliffhanger ending.
11) Ironwood vs Watts
Volume Seven takes a good long while to get to the fights, but that last hour is stuffed to the brim with them (trust me, this will not be the only Volume Seven climax fight to make it onto this list). The award for Most Creative fight definitely has to go to the showdown between Ironwood and Watts, which utilizes the ever-shifting playground of the Vytal Festival Tournament’s Amity Arena to great effect. There’s gravity-changing shenanigans galore, making this battle feel right out of The Matrix.
The two main combatants are highlights too. We haven’t seen much of Ironwood in combat, and he doesn’t disappoint. Despite wielding the simplest weapon in the series (it’s straight-up just a gun), he uses it so gracefully and expertly by flying around with the recoil, landing precise shots, and smacking Watts upside the head when close-up. Watts (who we’ve seen zero of in terms of fighting) is no slouch either, counting his shots even when the battle gets hectic, manipulating the arena, and nearly tricking his way to victory before Ironwood sacrifices an arm to seal the win. And speaking of sacrifice, the vocal song in the background is all about Ironwood and how he’ll go to any length to save his people…any length…
10) Team RWBY vs Caroline Cordovin
Like the Grimm battle a few spaces above, there’s something really exciting about watching a big group of people work together to take down a larger-than-life target. And while this fight doesn’t rank as high as the other big Volume Six climax happening at the same time, it’s still a whole load of fun to watch Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Qrow, Oscar, and Maria work together to bring down the massive mecha monstrosity driven by a diminutive quick-tempered army general.
There are two major things I love about this fight (aside from, as always, the music). First is that it really does a good job at letting everyone have something to do. Some large-scale fight scenes can lose track of the plot and poorly balance characters, but everyone meaningfully contributes here. Secondly, I love how important Ruby is to this fight. It’s a really nice culmination of her agency-driven development in this season, and her planning adaptations and eventual decisive blow to the mecha make this showdown quite epic.
9) Winter and Penny vs Cinder
Cinder has three big fights in the Atlas Arc, and I wavered a bit over which one to include. Eventually, I settled on this one, because I feel it is the one with the most consistent through thread of storytelling. It’s also got some of the highest stakes, what with the fate of the Winter Maiden’s power resting in the balance of this clash. Also, it caps off the breakneck Volume Seven finale, so you as a viewer are already on the edge of your seat biting your nails when Cinder comes calling!
From her initial appearance in the shrouded hallway, to the excellent choreography on display when she battles Winter and Penny in the cramped terminal room, this fight scene goes hard. And then it gets taken outside as an aerial battle with a gorgeous visual backdrop, right as the chanting choir rises up in the soundtrack. From there, I’m especially fond of the tense conclusion of Cinder viciously brutalizing Winter, only to have her goal swept out from under her by Penny, and then she’s chased off by Ruby. It’s a small victory in an otherwise rough finale for our heroes!
8) Cinder vs Neo
This fight really came as a shock to most viewers, but in the absolute best way possible. For starters, it was a surprise in-universe, as the last person Cinder ever expected to run into after narrowly surviving her loss in Volume Five was Neo, her old subordinate’s right-hand woman. On a meta level, us RWBY fans were also just starting to think Neo wouldn’t return, and especially not so bombastically! And she only becomes more plot-relevant from here!
The highlight of the fight is in its creative choreography, which perfectly encapsulates the style of the older seasons without losing the visual animation fluidity of the new physics engine. This battle is actually a lot like a Matrix fight, especially the clash between Seraph and (ironically) Neo. Cinder and Neo have some excellent use of their hand-to-hand and powers in this close-quarters environment, and it’s very thrilling to see unfold. I’m also a big fan of the haughty proprietress sitting back smugly and watching it all unfold, nonplussed.
7) Team RWBY vs Ace Ops
The final Volume Seven climax fight on this list, and the one that I could spend the most time watching over and over, and not get tired of it. It harkens back to the days of the Vytal Festival Tournament, what with a team of four fighting against another team of four. Only, this time, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and both sides are fighting for keeps. It’s a battle between friends-turned-enemies, and I love how much subtle characterization is conveyed between the different opponents and their facial movements and behaviors.
There are just so many good moments in this clash. Weiss managing to take down not one but two of the Ace Ops largely on her own is awesome as heck for a character who has traditionally struggled in one-on-ones. Yang and Blake are in top co-op form, as usual, and the most goosebumps-inducing moment of the fight has to be when they jointly knock out Elm, signifying the switch in odds to Team RWBY’s favor (also, this is when the song kicks in all epic-like). I also really like how Harriet holds her own and just about bests Ruby until Weiss shows up, as it showcases her strength and resolve prior to her more prominent antagonistic role in the next season.
6) Raven vs Cinder
In a volume that was already on a bit of shaky ground with its climax, Raven and Cinder’s unforgettably explosive clash really righted the ship just in time for the finale. Not that I dislike Volume Five, of course (I’m one of its few stalwart fans). And how could I possibly like it with a finale as amazing as this? The real conclusion might come down to a heart-to-heart between mother and daughter (a scene so good I’d love to do an article on it someday), but this battle really takes the cake when it comes to just a grand thrilling scale.
Two fully-powered maidens finally duke it out for the first time on screen, and it does not disappoint. It’s like something straight out of Dragon Ball Z, with all the flash-warps, explosive clashes, and dramatic reversals. But, it also doesn’t lose sight of what makes a RWBY fight so good, maintaining the series’ trademark high-quality choreography. I especially love when the ceiling blows up, and they just start running across and fighting on the falling rocks. The shocking finishing move is also a classic moment too, bringing a great brawl to a fitting end.
5) Ruby vs Torchwick and Neo
This battle is a late Volume Three reminder to viewers that Torchwick is not a threat to be taken lightly, and an in-universe reality check to Ruby that the forces lurking in the shadows of the world are far outside her depth.
It’s already a bleak set-up to begin with. While Ruby is immensely talented, Neo has been previously shown to effortlessly destroy Yang, so the threat level (and the airship they are fighting on) is sky-high. So Ruby has her hands full just trying to take down Neo, but then Torchwick jumps into the mix to really make things crazy. Not only that, but Torchwick and Neo pull off some of the slickest combo moves in existence, to the point where Ruby is soundly losing up until she gets Neo caught in the wind by opening up the flavorful girl’s umbrella.
The choreography of the first half of this fight is one thing, but I’m also a big fan of the slower-paced second-half. Ruby and Torchwick spend much of that time shouting each other’s philosophies back and forth, as they are realistically growing more weary (but also more brutal). Torchwick just beating a teenage girl with his cane is rough to watch, and I actually really like that Ruby doesn’t get the winning blow. It’s not only the perfect ironic conclusion to Torchwick’s character arc, but it shows that Ruby really isn’t quite ready to solo the big leagues.
4) Blake, Sun, and Penny vs Torchwick
Honestly, I’m not convinced I really need to say much more than GUNCHUCKS! I do? Fine, I’ll continue.
This Volume One final showdown is the proof that the mid-season battle against the Grimm in the forest (see entry #14 above) was not a fluke. Wonderfully set up by the episode that came before it, this finale pulls out all the stops that the minimal budget of RWBY‘s freshman season could manage, and is neatly divided into two halves. The second half, which I’ll mention first, is a flat-out spectacle. Penny wipes the floor with Torchwick’s goons, and she does it in grand style (the epic music in the background really completes the whole thing).
But it’s the first half that is still talked about by fans of RWBY to this day, as it’s some of the finest choreography in the series. Blake and Sun teaming up to go head-to-head with Torchwick is the stuff of legends, especially as we finally get to see this smug wise-cracking criminal prove he isn’t all talk. The breakneck pace of his blows with Blake are incredible, and when Sun whips out his gunchucks, it becomes just about the coolest ten seconds of animation you might ever see in your life. It’s such a cathartic showdown to revisit!
3) Yang vs Junior’s Nightclub
This has got to be one of the most underrated fights in the entire show, most likely because it came from one of the promotional hero trailers instead of being in an actual season. And yet, that little fact absolutely does not hold this battle back from behind some of the most solid action in the entire series.
As an introduction to Yang, this trailer wonderfully encapsulates all of her facets, but I’m not here today to talk about her bravado, can-do attitude, or whip-smart puns (hah gotcha, I just did). What I am here to talk about is her fighting, and simply put, there’s no one more interesting to watch in battle than Yang. Which, admittedly, is funny given that she’s the most straight-forward character in the show when it comes to action. She has gun gauntlets, and they can punch and shoot. The end. It’s simple martial arts, but by golly it never gets old to see!
This fight moves in phases, and I’m a fan of all three. In the first, Yang mops the floor with a bunch of goons in bombastic style, and in the final phase she throws down with the shady club owner and sends him flying through the window. But it’s the middle phase where this scene really excels. Yang tangos with the club’s bouncers, the Malachite sisters, and it’s a dream of flashy visuals, excellent choreography, and really solid music and sound effects. The sisters are tough, too, marking the only time in this fight Yang is on the backfoot. I adore the extended shot of Yang playing the most intense game of footsies as she shuffles around looking for an opening. Awesome stuff.
2) Yang vs Neo
Sadly, friends, these last two entries aren’t exactly going to be surprises. I mean, I’ve already written comprehensive A.F.S.A. articles on both of them. Even still, I’ll endeavor to hit the highlights and not repeat myself to much amidst all my gushing and praise.
Summarized as efficiently as possible, this is the single best piece of action choreography in the entire show, and just some of the best I’ve ever seen in anything action-related. Despite only being two minutes long, Yang and Neo’s clash is the sort of action set piece that I hope and dream my own action scenes in the books I write could one day compete with. It’s tense, it’s thrilling, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, it’s fresh from start to finish, and it makes you want to watch it over and over to pick up on what you missed the first time around.
An understated but appreciated aspect of the fight is just how much characterization has gone into it, even though not a single line of dialogue is spoken after the first punch is thrown. Yang’s increasingly fierce and desperate strikes is evocative of her fiery-but-blinding temper, and Neo’s own dramatic flips and twirls are indicative of her frighteningly playful-but-competent demeanor. Yang is far out of her league, and even if you didn’t know how the fight would end, you could guess it from the first few seconds from the characterization alone. That level of masterclass in writing and scene-composition is rare.
1) Yang and Blake vs Adam
And to the surprise of absolutely no one, my favorite fight in the show is still Yang and Blake vs Adam (though, speaking of surprise, I certainly didn’t expect Yang to make so many appearances on this list). It’s a fight scene that masterfully excels both in its action and its narrative purpose. Allow me to recap how awesome it is.
This scene manages to wring a lot of its incredible enjoyment out of its length (which, you’ll note, does not contradict my praise of the above entry about not ‘overstaying a welcome‘, as length is not inherently bad if interest is retained). It starts at the comms tower with just Blake, transitions to the forest with Adam chasing Blake, has Yang arrive at the waterfall and fight solo for a bit, before finally capping off with the two-on-one. All told, it’s about twelve minutes, which easily makes it the longest fight in the series, and like I said earlier, I believe that it is all for the better because of it. There’s just so much awesome you can cram into that sort of runtime!
I’ve gushed about the highlights in the other article about this fight, like the amazing bits of action where Yang and Adam trade blows, or Blake’s expert dodging of Adam’s strikes, or (as pictured below) the jaw-dropping final blow. But the non-action bits contained within the fights are worthy of praise too, like Yang and Blake having such a strong connection that their unspoken plan is understood by both of them, or how Yang baits Adam into attacking recklessly, just as he did to her in Volume Three when he cut her arm off. It’s almost hard to count the number of plot threads, character beats, and Chekov’s guns this single fight pays off on, and it truly is the culmination of years of storytelling for these three characters. It’s a one-of-a-kind, phenomenal fight scene!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 