Salem

Salem (セイラム, Seiramu), is both the fictional character and the primary antagonist from the RWBY series. She is a very mysterious figure in Remnant and highly knowledgeable about the world and its forgotten history, she is the leader of a group of people with malicious plans. Her goals are to find the Maidens, take their powers, take the Relics from the Huntsman Academies and weaken humanity by snuffing out their hope. She is opposed by Ozpin, with whom she speaks directly in "Ruby Rose" and "End of the Beginning".

She was originally named as the Mysterious Narrator in the two credits of two episodes "Black and White" and "Breach". In "Ruby Rose", the first episode of Volume 1, she serves as the narrator, giving the opening voice-over for the series. She is also the narrator of the first four RWBY: World of Remnant episodes. She makes her first on-screen appearance in the Volume 3 finale, "End of the Beginning".

"This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait to watch you burn."
 * —Salem.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice Actor: Jen Taylor (English), Kikuko Inoue (Japanese), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (French), Not Known (German), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Poland), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish)

Past
Millennia ago, Salem was a human woman with fair skin, pale blonde hair, and light blue eyes. She wore most of her hair down, with a small section of it tied into a small bun that trails some of the hair down below it. Most of her bangs were tied back, aside from a large lock that framed her face to her left.

She wore a white, sleeveless shirt with a raised, pale blue collar and a blue rhombus-shaped crystal on the upper chest. Her long, high-waisted skirt was white with a faint purple tint and a purple sash around the waist. For accessories, she wore gray, circular earrings and a pair of dull brown bracers, and her long fingernails were painted pale lilac.

Current
Salem's skin is a deathly pallor, covered with deep red and purple veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red, shining brighter when she is agitated. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead.

She wears a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes. She also wears a ring resembling an insect on her right index finger. She has white hair formed into a bun with six offshoots from which ornaments are suspended.


 * Hair Color: White (Formerly Pale Blonde)
 * Skin Color: Deathly White (with Deep Red and Purple veins)
 * Eye Color: Red irises with Jet Black scleras (Formerly Light Blue)
 * Age: Several Millenia
 * Birthday: Not Known
 * Height: Not Known
 * Weight: Not Known

Personality
Salem is insidious, patiently moving to undermine and destroy her enemies with cold, deliberate resolve. She is also highly intellectual, with a healthy respect for her enemy, mankind, which she recognizes as possessing both resourcefulness and ingenuity. She also acknowledges humanity's capacity to draw strength from hope, but she uses this knowledge to subvert and destroy them. She is humble enough to recognize that there are limits to her abilities and that she can only do so much for her subordinates.

She is very confident and self-assured, secure in her knowledge that she can best whatever Ozpin sends to stop her and her goals. She also appears to be cruel or sadistic, for she seems to relish the prospect of watching Ozpin burn.

In contrast, Salem is also fair and collegial towards her allies, giving credit where credit is due and showing genuine appreciation to those who are loyal. In enforcing this atmosphere of fairness, she also discourages unnecessary malignance and cruelty amongst her associates. When Tyrian Callows returns after having failed to capture Ruby Rose, she merely tells him that he disappointed her and walks away. She is also seen tolerating her allies unruly behavior to some extent, such as Tyrian's maniacal tendencies and Watts' snide and condescending attitude. In "So That's How It Is", Salem shows her fairness when she only blames Cinder, who was in charge of the mission, for their failure in acquiring the Relic during the Battle of Haven and forbids Hazel Rainart from taking the blame, even threatening him when he continues to attempt to do so.

However, Salem is not above losing her temper, as she is particularly demanding when inquiring whether Cinder Fall has truly killed Ozpin or not. She later became angry with Lionheart after he started to become less afraid of her and be more outspoken in her presence. This display of sheer dominance shows Salem's rather imperious and demanding personality. Her biggest displays of anger are shown in "So That's How it Is", when she first binds Hazel to the floor after he tries covering for Cinder by claiming responsibility for their defeat at Haven, and then when she destroys all the windows in her council chamber upon learning that Ozpin has already reincarnated and has acquired the Relic.

In the distant past, Salem was shown to be a kind yet lonely woman, but appeared to be slightly manipulative. This was shown when her lover Ozma died of an illness, she tried tricking the Brother Gods to bring him back and then when she tricked Humanity to turn against them, only for both to fail. After she jumped into the pool of darkness in another suicide attempt, she gained a destructive nature, though she managed to curb said nature for a while.

When she and Ozma reunited, she was shown to be truly happy and Salem was shown to be a genuinely kind and loving mother to her and Ozma's daughters. However, this did not stop her from murdering Ozma and, accidentally, her daughters in a rage when she learned they were trying to flee their home once Ozma realized the monster she had become.

Both Qrow and Raven describe her as a being who would make use of anybody to help further her goals, something Salem herself suggests when explaining her decisions to Cinder. Raven states that she would discard the people she uses if they become obsolete to her, which is later violently demonstrated when she uses a Seer to kill Lionheart for trying to run from the Battle of Haven.

Friends/Allies

 * Salem's Faction
 * Arthur Watts
 * Tyrian Callows
 * Hazel Rainart
 * Cinder's Faction
 * Cinder Fall
 * White Fang
 * Adam Taurus

Family

 * Unnamed Father (Deceased)
 * Ozma (Former significant other)
 * Four Unnamed Daughters (Status Unknown)

Neutral

 * Leonardo Lionheart
 * Sienna Khan
 * Raven Branwen

Enemies

 * Humanity
 * Ozpin's Group
 * Ozpin
 * Qrow Branwen
 * Team RWBY
 * Ruby Rose

Powers and Abilities
Salem, being a member of the first wave of Humanity created, has access to magic. She is shown to be able to fire blasts of magic from her hands, and summon Grimm-like arms. In addition to her other magic, she appears to be able to project telekinetic force, as she shattered the windows in her council chamber in a fit of uncontrolled rage.

She was also cursed with immortality by the Gods, making it impossible to destroy her.

Raven Branwen reveals that Salem is the Grimm's master. As such, she can command them to do her bidding and even create them from the pools of black liquid outside of her home. Salem has lived for thousands of years, during which she acquired extensive knowledge of the nature of Aura and Dust, as well as an understanding of human nature, society and history.

Salem is also very effective at getting others to follow her orders through fear. She controls Tyrian with statements of approval or disapproval and controls Lionheart and others by conveying their well-being is contingent on cooperation.

Qrow Branwen claims he has "seen the things she's made" and that "they are fear". She also possesses knowledge on how to steal the powers of Maidens, a feat of which was never accomplished before according to Ozpin's group.

Salem also appears to know how to graft Grimm body parts to human bodies, as is the case when Salem gives Cinder the arm of a Geist.

She also possesses some form of superhuman strength or telekinesis, as she easily flipped the massive table in her headquarters, all while seated.

Before Remnant
Salem was born millennia ago in an age where Humanity lived alongside their creators, the brother Gods - the God of Light and the God of Darkness - and magic was a force that all could wield. Salem spent her life locked away by her father in a grand tower until one day a great warrior by the name of Ozma arrived to liberate her from her prison. After their escape, the two fell deeply in love, planning great adventures and a full life together until Ozma fell gravely ill and passed away.

Heartbroken and angry, Salem traveled to the Domain of Light, where the God of Light dwelled. There, she pleaded with him to resurrect her love but was denied. Desperate for help, she traveled to the lair of the God of Darkness, explaining her plight and taking care not to mention her visit with his elder brother. Pleased with her apparent loyalty, the God of Darkness rewarded her by bringing Ozma back from the dead. However, at that moment, the God of Light intervened and returned Ozma to the afterlife to preserve balance, only for his brother to revive him again. The God of Light explained to his brother that Salem had gone to him first and had turned the Gods against each other. The God of Darkness then destroyed Ozma once more as punishment.

Salem, enraged, prepared to attack the God of Light before she was taken to his Domain. Here, the Gods cursed her with immortality, hoping she would learn the error of her ways and come to understand the purpose of life and death. This burden of eternal life drove Salem towards one goal, the destruction of the Brother Gods. Salem traveled the world, manipulating kings and queens into turning against the Gods and eventually led a great army to the Domain of Light. Here, Humanity met its end at the hands of the God of Darkness, who killed everyone but Salem as a final punishment. The God of Light spoke sadly of his disappointment in Salem and Humanity, declaring the planet a Remnant of what it once was. The Gods then abandoned the planet, shattering Remnant's Moon in the process.

Salem, the last Human alive, wandered the Remnant alone before finding herself back in the God of Darkness' home, the Land of Darkness. Here, she found the blackened pools responsible for spawning the creatures of Grimm, the legacy of the God of Darkness. Hoping that the pools would take away her immortality and finally reunite her with her beloved Ozma, she threw herself in. The pools of Grimm were unable to destroy a being of eternal life, and they instead warped Salem's mind and body, transforming her into a being intent on destruction.

At some point after Humanity's destruction and eventual return, Salem made herself a home in a dilapidated cottage on the outskirts of a village, becoming known only as "the Witch". One day, a man came to her door, a man she recognized despite never having seen his face before. Ozma had returned, reincarnated, and the two began a new life together, though both harbored dark secrets from the other. Realizing they were the only Humans left in existence able to wield magic, they set about using their powers to act as Gods on Remnant and united the new Humanity under their rule. Their kingdom prospered, and the two eventually came to have four daughters that developed the ability to wield magic.

Around this time, Ozma began to show his doubts in regards to Salem's methods, which were becoming progressively more brutal and totalitarian. He revealed his secrets - the deal he had made with the God of Light and the existence of the Relics. Salem had decided that Humanity was unworthy and spoke of her wishes to replace them with something better. Ozma, realizing that his love had gone too far, attempted to run away with their daughters. A great battle was fought between the two, destroying their home and apparently killing their daughters in the process. Salem murdered Ozma, and so began the centuries-long conflict between the two former lovers.

For many centuries, Ozma fought against Salem, trying to protect the Relics and find a way to destroy her for good.

In recent history, she has gathered a group of followers to aid her in her goals.

Before the Timeskip
In "Ruby Rose", Salem narrates the early of history of humanity, born from dust. She tells of their struggles against the Creatures of Grimm, their discovery of nature's wrath, Dust, and the beginnings of civilization in the absence of the shadow of the Grimm. While Salem maintains that strength would not bring victory, Ozpin counters by saying victory lies within simpler things that require "a smaller, more honest soul." After the fall of Beacon Academy and the death and destruction wrought upon Vale, their conversation is continued in "End of the Beginning". Salem declares that Beacon's fate is merely the first step in her plan to divide humanity, and thus snuff out all hope for their survival. She threatens to destroy everything Ozpin has built, and challenges him to send in his Guardians, believing they will fail as will his "simple soul".

After the Fall of Beacon
After the fall of Beacon, Salem holds a meeting with her subordinates in her lair. She orders Arthur Watts to meet with the informant in Mistral, Professor Leonardo Lionheart; Hazel Rainart to meet with the White Fang leader, Sienna Khan and Tyrian Callows to hunt down Ruby Rose whilst Cinder Fall stays at her side for treatment. She claims Haven Academy will be the next to fall. Salem's treatment of Cinder includes telling the Maiden that "it" can sense her fear and that she has to make it fear her instead. After a Seer floats into the meeting room and gives a message to Salem, she turns to Cinder and adamantly asks Cinder for a final answer reporting on whether she killed Ozpin or not. Cinder reaffirms Ozpin's death. Salem orders the Grimm to reinforce their numbers at Beacon Academy, stating "The Relic is there." She mutters to herself, "What are you planning?" Salem puts Cinder through intense training to control her powers and isn't impressed with her progress. When Tyrian appears and reluctantly reports his failure in capturing Ruby, Salem tells him that he disappointed her and leaves the room. Sometime later, Salem watches and smiles as Cinder masters her power.

Sights on Haven
After Cinder's training, Salem learns from Watts and Lionheart that the Spring Maiden is with Raven Branwen. She decides to send Cinder and her team to Anima to find the bandit leader and convince her to cooperate with them. Salem also has Watts work on a "new" tail for Tyrian. Afterward, she tells Cinder to understand everyone's usefulness and to be patient and ready to deal with Ruby.

However, as the Battle of Haven concludes, she later finds out from Lionheart that things have gone awry. Disappointed, Salem has a Seer kill Lionheart for his cowardice.

Canon

 * Leonardo Lionheart vs. Oscar Pine (Lost)
 * Leonardo Lionheart and Hazel Rainart vs. Oscar Pine and Qrow Branwen (Fled)

Canon

 * Battle of Haven

Theme songs

 * End of the Beginning: "Divide" - Casey Lee Williams.

Etymology

 * The name "Salem" comes from the Hebrew word שלם (shalém), which means the state of being whole or intact. The name also has associations of witchcraft and the occult, due to the Salem witch trials, where many people were accused of witchcraft and executed.
 * It is also a cultivar of rosemary with pale blue flowers, which is also associated with witchcraft.
 * One of the fairy tales mentioned by Pyrrha in the episode "Fall" is "The Girl in the Tower". As several fairy tales turned out to be real or be based on real Remnant world events, the title The Girl in the Tower likely references Salem, as she spent her early life locked away in a tower by her father.
 * It could also be based on Rapunzel, the German fairy tale made famous by the The Brothers Grimm.

Notes & Trivia

 * In an interview with Afterbuzz TV, writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross revealed that Salem's concept was done before the concepts for Team SSSN. At the first RWBY Panel at RTX 2016, they estimated that she was the ninth character designed (after Teams RWBY and JNPR).
 * Writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross have confirmed that any visual resemblance between Salem and the original Winter Maiden (from the RWBY: World of Remnant episode "The Four Maidens") was a coincidence and unintentional.