RWBYThe main quartet consists of a heavy hitter, a real mage, and a fast girl with a big scythe, but Blake Belladonna manages to have one of the handiest skills of the bunch. While she may not summon the same power potential as her companions, her physical abilities combined with her strength make her a formidable opponent, and no less flashy.
A feline Faunus, half human, half animal, Blake has witnessed prejudice against her people and also fought back against injustice. After leaving the resistance group that trained her after they became too violent, she finds herself wanting to become a Hunter in hopes of inspiring good in another way. Blake is characterized by insecurity; she can see problems and has strong beliefs about equality that she’s not afraid to talk about, but she doesn’t see a clear path forward. Her past still haunts her, and her attempts to move on often feel like she’s running away, something she sees an uncanny resemblance to in her power.
In shadows
Blake’s Semblance – her power – is called Shadow and allows her to throw away duplicates of herself that can take the blow in her place. These shackles are not durable and will deform and disappear once hit by an approaching attack, but they are visually indistinguishable from her, making them a perfect decoy.
Not only does the ability provide distraction during stealth, it also functions well in combat and traversal surprisingly well. When Blake activates this ability, the clone and the original separate, and Blake can move herself in any direction and temporarily disguise her body. This means that her opponents are none the wiser in her trick; a cunning use of deception.
Aside from the benefits of the clone itself, this means that Blake can use this power as a double jump or throw himself at an enemy at great speed. Its versatility is a testament to Blake’s combat prowess, but technology has also allowed her to thrive.
A little help from friends
In part 2 of the original series, Weiss Blake pours in a specially tailored Dust – a power source RWBY – which allows her to change the shape of her duplicates. Dust comes in many forms, often with some elemental properties, so its application here gives the clones an extra punch.
These variants are similar to the element used, meaning the duplicates lose the similarity, but the trade-off is well worth it. One turns the clone into a fiery explosive, the other into a statue of ice, another stone, and still others influence what happens when the clone is destroyed. However, none of this is possible without Blake’s most intricate tool.
The Gambol Shroud
Some characters have one sword, others two, but Blake has a total of five, all built into one mold. The big cleaver on her back is mean enough, but when it’s unsheathed, there’s a wakizashi – a short sword – inside. The wakizashi and scabbard that doubles as a cleaver can be used double to perform quick and decisive slashing attacks.
In addition, the wakizashi’s blade self-folds and rests on top of the hilt, a high-capacity pistol with a folded barrel. In its shortened form, this weapon resembles a Japanese kusarigama and can be thrown as such. However, the fun doesn’t stop there.
As if to take it even further, Blake uses the gun’s explosion to launch the gun at her opponents, before using her ribbon to control and swing this devastating blade. The ribbon itself is long, durable and can be stretched accordingly to accommodate the weapon it is attached to. The gun is also the medium she uses to activate the dust to alter her clones.
Blake doesn’t have Weiss’ casting abilities, and her gun doesn’t even come close to Yang’s strength. While her kusarigama recoil-assisted fighting style is akin to Ruby and her scythe, the stopping power just isn’t the same. However, despite all that, few other characters are as versatile as Blake.
The 2013 “Black Trailer” is a perfect representation of what makes Blake such a captivating fighter on screen. What she lacks in brute strength, she makes up for with technique, strategy and fast on her feet. She might just be the most skilled fighter on her team.
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