Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY)/Synopsis

== Background ==
Pyrrha Nikos graduated at the top of her class in Sanctum Academy before moving to Vale to attend Beacon Academy.
Before arriving at Beacon, she became the mascot for Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes and won the MistralRegional Tournament four years in a row. She also mentions that she has never experienced a meaningful relationship due to her status and talents.
== RWBY ==
=== Welcome to Beacon ===
Pyrrha Nikos made her first appearance as a cameo in the background during the ceremony in "The Shining Beacon, Pt.2" after Ruby Rose left Jaune Arc, who wondered where he would be able to speak to another "nice, quirky girl".
=== Beacon Academy Initiation ===
Pyrrha was next seen in the locker room having a conversation with Weiss Schnee, who wished to form a team with her. Pyrrha expressed nonchalance regarding partnership in the teams, and thus she agreed to forming a team with Weiss.
The two girls were interrupted by Jaune Arc, who attempted to flirt with Weiss and possibly form a team with her despite numerous rejections. However, when Pyrrha mentioned that there are more than two people in one team, Jaune immediately tried to flirt with her as well. Unlike Weiss, Pyrrha reacted with interest and vague amusement.
Weiss explained that Pyrrha was renowned for her physical ability, which shocked Jaune. Despite Jaune now feeling unworthy, Pyrrha expressed an interest in teaming up with him. Jaune pestered Weiss with renewed vigor until she ran out of patience and got Pyrrha to chuck her spear at Jaune, pinning him to a wall. The two left, though Pyrrha still acted friendly toward Jaune as she passed by him.
After being catapulted into the Emerald Forest for their first test at Beacon Academy, Pyrrha used Akoúo̱ to crash into a few trees to slow herself before landing on a large branch. She then used the scope on her weapon to spot Jaune falling out of the sky, prompting her to convert her weapon to its javelin mode. She aimed carefully before throwing it and pinning Jaune to a tree, saving him from a nasty landing. She eventually found him and they became partners, after she teasingly asked if he still had room on his team.
As they made their way through the Emerald Forest, Jaune and Pyrrha heard a gunshot, and Pyrrha deduced that the others must have encountered the Grimm. Shortly afterward, Pyrrha pushed back a tree branch that hit Jaune in the cheek when it flew back, cutting him slightly. Pyrrha was concerned and wondered why Jaune didn't use his Aura to protect himself, but she quickly figured out that he had no idea what Aura was.
Pyrrha then explained Aura, how everything with a soul has it and how their weapons are conduits for their Auras. Pyrrha then used her own Aura to unlock Jaune's, though the process briefly tired her. As she looked at Jaune's Aura, she noted that he had a substantial amount of it.
Pyrrha and Jaune came across a cave, and Jaune wondered if it was the temple. As they went inside, Pyrrha began to have doubts that it was indeed the place they were looking for. Jaune asked her to humor him for a little longer, only to drop the torch he made into some water, plunging them into darkness. As they navigated the cave, Jaune tried to grab a glowing object in front of him. This glowing object was the stinger of a Death Stalker.
Pyrrha ran out of the cave with the Death Stalker close behind, resulting in the Grimm breaking out of the small stone entrance. As Jaune desperately asked Pyrrha for help, still hanging onto the stinger, she told him not to let go; immediately afterward, the Death Stalker flicked its tail, sending Jaune hurtling further into the forest. Pyrrha briefly stared down the monster, but after seeing it clearly, she decide to run away instead.
Shortly after Jaune crashed into Ruby, Pyrrha was seen running away from the Death Stalker and evading several of its attacks. At one point, she was knocked back by the Death Stalker toward Blake, Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren's position. Soon afterward, she joined the remaining students, who decided not to stay and fight the creatures.
However, the Nevermore and Death Stalker gave chase, forcing both teams to split. Pyrrha, Ren and Blake engaged the Death Stalker. Blake was separated from them and focused on the Nevermore, while Nora Valkyrie and Jaune joined up with Pyrrha and Ren.
Soon after, the four engaged the scorpion-type creature. Pyrrha and Jaune forced the Death Stalker's pincers to the sides, giving Ren an opening to jump on the tail and fire at it. Pyrrha managed to stab the Death Stalker in one of its eyes as Ren was tossed into a pillar.
After Jaune noticed that the tail's stinger was loose, Pyrrha cut it off, and the stinger dropped onto the Death Stalker's head. She then launched Nora into the air to deliver the final blow, which caused the creature to plummet into the ravine. Pyrrha later watched in wonder as the Nevermore's headless body fell off the cliff. She was later made an official member of Team JNPR.
=== Start of Classes ===
Pyrrha stuck her head out through the door with her team, noticing Team RWBY rushing off to class. After her team all fell to the ground, she rushed to class after Jaune as they all realized they were late.
Pyrrha was later on seen observing Jaune's fight with Cardin Winchester, in which he was humiliated and loses, and she looked at him with sad concern. Pyrrha was later seen with her team and Team RWBY eating lunch. Just like Ruby, Pyrrha asked Jaune if he is alright, who said that he was fine and tried to deny the fact that Cardin bullied him.
Later, she saw Team CRDL bullying a Faunus girl named Velvet Scarlatina. She called it atrocious, stating how she hated and despised people who do that to others, with Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long agreeing.
Pyrrha was next shown attending a history class with her team and some members of Team RWBY. After her failed attempt to help Jaune answer a question about the Faunus Rights Revolution, Cardin gave a derogatory answer belittling the Faunus. Pyrrha rebuked Cardin for his attitude and then answered the question, stating that many Faunus have night vision. Once class was over, she waited for Jaune and took him to the roof where she offered to help him train because of the difficulty he had in class.
She also stated that he had the capability to be a Huntsman. At that point, she learned that Jaune lied to get into Beacon and had never even attended a combat school despite his family all being heroes. Even faced with this revelation, she insisted on helping him, but he angrily sent her away in his frustration and depression, and she left with a forlorn expression.
Pyrrha stopped talking to Jaune for a while, stating to Nora that their leader knew what he was doing. However, she was unaware that he was eavesdropping through the door. The next day, in the Forever Fall forest, she stared at a depressed Jaune, who unwillingly accompanies Team CRDL in helping them get their sap. She was shown gathering sap from a tree with her leader behind her along with team CRDL. Oblivious to the actions behind her, Cardin called her a "know-it-all" and told Jaune to throw a jar of sap at her to get rapier wasps to attack her. Jaune refused, and threw it at Cardin instead.
When Ruby pointed out a growl in the distance, Russel Thrush ran by her and Pyrrha, mentioning the Ursaattacking Cardin. In response, Pyrrha dropped her jar in shock and concern for Jaune. After Ruby ordered Blake and Yang to find Glynda Goodwitch, she ordered Ren and Nora to accompany them. Along with Weiss and Ruby, she headed to the location of the Ursa.
They watched as Jaune fought the Ursa to protect a defenseless Cardin. Using her Semblance, Pyrrha helped Jaune raise his shield to block a swipe from the Ursa, creating an opening for him to kill the Grimm.
She told Ruby and Weiss that the events that had just transpired should be kept a secret between the three of them. Later on, she met Jaune up on one of the roofs of the school. She asked Jaune about Cardin, sarcastically commenting about how they were "best buds". Jaune quickly apologized to Pyrrha for his actions and acting like a macho man. She accepted his apology and begins to walk away.
Before she can leave, Jaune nervously asked if she would still help train him. Smiling in response, Pyrrha gave Jaune a small shove, quickly commenting on his bad fighting stance. After helping him up, she agreed to train him.
=== Start of the Second Semester ===
Pyrrha was enjoying lunch with her team when the actions of Nora and Yang result in a food fight between the two teams. Blake and Pyrrha fought each other using rolls of French bread in place of their weapons. Pyrrha hit Blake, forcing her back before tossing more loaves of bread like a spear at Yang. Ruby grabbed a lunch tray and surfed across the table, hitting Pyrrha and temporarily knocking her out when her head hit the floor.
Pyrrha soon rejoined the fight, using her Semblance to take control of countless soda cans and pummeling Blake with them. Ruby in turn used her Semblance to create a wind tunnel that sucks up everything around it, including Pyrrha and her team and they were smashed against the back wall and covered in food and soda. With the fight official over after Glynda fixed everything, Pyrrha laughed about the event with her friends.
Pyrrha was seen in the library reading books with her team, with the exception of Nora sleeping, and Jaune reading a comic. She took his comic away and replaced it with a book. Before Jaune can spill out the secret on Blake's Faunus heritage, she covered his mouth and finished his sentence by stating Blake was a fun-loving person they all admire, but Blake simply gave a disappointed look in response. Team JNPR was not seen for a little while after that, until the day that Glynda oversaw sparring matches that determine whether or not students qualified for the upcoming tournament.
=== Prelude to the Dance ===
At first, Pyrrha was seen donning her equipment in the locker room before walking down the hall toward the arena. As she walked through the hallway, flashes of a battle were seen, and it was soon revealed to be a spar between Pyrrha and Team CRDL. She quickly and easily took out Sky Lark first, when her shield bounced off of Cardin and hit him. Dove Bronzewing and Russel put up a fairly good fight as they utilized teamwork against her, while Cardin attempted to attack her while she was distracted.
She promptly defeated Russel and battled Dove one-on-one. Dove was sent spinning off-balance and was accidentally taken down by Cardin as soon as he regained balance. Cardin attempted to win with brute strength but was proven unsuccessful when Pyrrha knocked him into the air and slammed him into the floor.
Glynda praised Pyrrha for her excellent skills in the four-on-one spar before turning her attention to attempting to get Blake, who had been "rather docile" recently, to participate in class. However, she was interrupted by Mercury Black, who volunteered to spar Pyrrha. Despite Glynda's objection, Pyrrha accepted the challenge, stating that she would be happy to oblige.
Throughout the spar, Mercury was seen to be testing Pyrrha, who easily blocked and deflected his attacks with her shield and spear. At the beginning of the spar, she managed to sweep his leg and knock him down, but he quickly and acrobatically got to his feet and performed a double back-handspring to put distance between himself and her. The first time she attempted to attack, Mercury struck first and put her on the defensive. However, she managed to turn it around and knock him away with her shield.
Mercury took things up a notch, leading her to defend against a barrage of attacks before moving away to attempt to switch to the offensive. However, the barrage of attacks became more brutal, forcing her to stay on the defensive. She attempted to start striking back, but Mercury kicked her spear out of her hand. Before she could go after her spear, Mercury launched another attack, forcing her to use her Semblance to push his boot away, but only when it came within inches of her hand.
This sent him stumbling away and gave her time to retrieve her spear. While he was still down, she charged toward him with her shield, but he kicked off of the shield with a bullet. While she rushed toward him again, Mercury turned his back to her and forfeit. Taken aback, Pyrrha slowed to a stop. Obviously rather perplexed, she questioned if Mercury even wanted to try, to which he replied that she is obviously in a higher league than him.
Pyrrha was later seen sparring Jaune on the roof of the dormitory. When she ended the spar, she cheerfully noted that his swordplay had improved and suggested that they move on to Aura training. When Jaune asked to skip Aura, she assumed that he was disheartened by the fact that he had not yet discovered his Semblance, and she tried to encourage him.
However, Jaune said that it is not that, stating that it is something stupid instead. Upon further questioning, he revealed that he was sad because he tried to ask Weiss out to the dance, and she shot him down. This caused Pyrrha's smile to fade, and she told him that there are plenty of fish in the sea. Jaune ignored this, stating that she probably had plenty of guys clamoring to go to the dance with her, to which she replies "You'd be surprised". Jaune laughed it off as he walked away, saying that if she does not get a date to the dance, he would wear a dress.
=== The Dance ===
When Jaune was talking with Lie Ren, Pyrrha overheard Jaune's declare his feelings for Weiss Schnee and told him to go tell Weiss what he exactly felt, and to not to say any silly pick up lines, or make any grand gestures. Jaune accepted her advice and walked out. Pyrrha, however, walked away disappointed, with Nora telling her to practice what she preached, implying that Nora was aware of Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune.
At the dance, Pyrrha arrived late and unescorted, passing in front of Jaune as he was about to confront Neptune for not taking Weiss to the dance. Catching Jaune's attention, Pyrrha walked up the staircase toward the balcony, with Jaune following shortly. At the balcony, Jaune commented on not having seen her earlier and her having great attire. However, when he asked about her date, Pyrrha told him she did not have one since no one asked her, which shocked Jaune.
She stated, though being blessed with talent and opportunity, and adorned with love and praise, being placed on such a pedestal for so long separates her from the people who put her there. As a result, people believed she was too good for them - unattainable on another level - so much so it had become difficult to create meaningful relationships with anyone.
Due to this, Pyrrha confessed, because of Jaune's initial lack of knowledge leading him to treat her like an ordinary person, and was why she liked him and why she was able to make the friendships she had. She lastly stated he was the type of guy she wished were there with her - someone who saw her for her - before leaving Jaune to go back inside the ballroom.
A little while later, as Pyrrha walked around the floor, a growing increase in laughter around her made Pyrrha turn to see the cause of it. Jaune stood in front of her in a girl's prom dress, who after being noticed by her said "a promise was a promise". Pyrrha burst out laughing at the sight before her, chuckling to Jaune that he did not have to do, to which Jaune replied "an Arc never goes back on his word" and reached out with his hand to ask Pyrrha to dance.
As the music shifted, Pyrrha accepted as Jaune grabbed her hand and brought her toward the center of the floor, joined shortly by Ren and Nora. As Team JNPR performed, Pyrrha was surprised to learn Jaune could dance, which Jaune explained was what happened when you grew up with seven sisters.
After the dance, Team JNPR met with Team RWBY before they leave for Mountain Glenn. After Nora exclaimed her disappointment and a there was small chat between them, Sun and Neptune, Team JNPR sent off Team RWBY.
The next morning, as Pyrrha and her team prepared to head off on their first mission, Jaune told them about a strange call he received from Ruby the previous night, which had him concerned. Shortly thereafter, alarm klaxons sound and Team JNPR sprang into action. Pyrrha and the rest of Team JNPR joined the battle against the Grimm, in which she easily dispatched several Creeps.
Pyrrha showed some momentary concern when Jaune was confronted by an Ursa, but her fears were assuaged when Jaune deftly dealt with the threat. After the battle, Pyrrha was seen with the other Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon.
=== Vytal Festival Tournament ===
Pyrrha arrived at the fairgrounds with her team and shared a meal with Team RWBY after offering to pay for their food. After the events of the Grimm invasion, she noted that it was nice to have a fight with guidelines instead of one against someone or something aiming to kill. They were soon called away by Bartholomew Oobleck to report to Amity Colosseum for their match.
Team JNPR's first match in the Vytal Festival tournament was against Team BRNZ of Vacuo's Shade Academy. After a brief melee in the center of the arena, Team JNPR was quickly pinned down by May Zedong, Team BRNZ's sniper, who had taken cover in the trees on the opposite end of the battlefield. As Ren distracted the sniper and Nora scaled a mountain to harness an incoming electrical storm's energy, Jaune and Pyrrha took on Brawnz Ni and Roy Stallion in hand-to-hand combat. Jaune and Pyrrha later cooperated to block one of May's shots intended for Nora, by launching Pyrrha up into the air with Jaune's shield.
After Nora unleashed a devastating attack on Team BRNZ, destroying May's cover and landing an explosive hammer blow to the other three, Jaune attempted to finish the match by calling out team attacks, including "Arkos" for himself and Pyrrha, but Pyrrha doesn't understand his instructions. Jaune attempted to explain that this was "that thing, where we take our shields", but Pyrrha was still unsure. Jaune became increasingly dejected when she expressed doubt and hesitation, construing this as her not liking his work. Exasperated, Jaune simply orders Nora to hit Team BRNZ with her hammer, which she did, knocking them clear out of the arena and winning the match.
After the doubles round of the tournament, Ozpin called Pyrrha to his office, and she was seen taking the elevator to meet him.
Inside Ozpin's office, it was revealed that Ozpin and his inner circle had chosen her as a potential candidate to be the next Fall Maiden. As they traveled to the vault below the school, the group explained to Pyrrha that the current Fall Maiden, Amber, was critically wounded, and had part of her power stolen. She was being kept in a comatose state. When Pyrrha asked about why this truth was never shown to the public, they explained that it was to protect the Maidens from power-hungry individuals who wished to steal the Maidens' gifts for themselves.
The group explained to her that because Amber was too injured to transfer her power naturally, they would be forced to use Atlesian technology to try and merge her life force, including her Aura, to Pyrrha herself. This raised her concerns about the ethics of such an act, along with the potential risks to her well being. Nevertheless, Pyrrha expressed interest in the decision, for the sake of the denizens of Remnant.
Ozpin told her that she could think about her decision, though she needed to provide her answer before the Vytal Festival ended. She later appeared in Amity Colosseum, after being elected to represent JNPR in the finals, still deep in thought over the matter.
After Yang's matchup, along with the subsequent fiasco, Pyrrha was seen with the rest of JNPR as they comforted Team RWBY. When RWBY asked that Pyrrha win the tournament for Yang and for Beacon, she responded that she would do her best, hiding away her emotions. While Ren and Nora suggested different ways for Pyrrha to prepare, such as exercise regimens and an herbal recipe, Jaune recommended that the entire team head outside for some fresh air.
Later, Pyrrha was reminded of her decision regarding the Fall Maiden when a leaf lands in her direction. Afterward, Jaune offered to sit beside her. Jaune noted that Pyrrha was the first to believe in him; his parents believed that he would likely move out of Beacon and return home. As he said this, he put his hand over hers. When Jaune asked what he could do to help, Pyrrha replied that he already was helping as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Pyrrha asked Jaune whether or not he believed in destiny. After Jaune replied that it was based on interpretation, Pyrrha revealed that she believed her destiny was a final goal rather than a predetermined fate. Without divulging the secret regarding the Fall Maiden, she insinuated that it was an obstacle to that goal. Becoming increasingly emotional, Pyrrha asked Jaune what to do if fulfilling your destiny came at the cost of who you were.
Jaune replied that nothing was impossible for Pyrrha, and that if she believed her destiny was to save the world she should not let anything stop her. Pyrrha looked at him in such distress that he carefully approached her while trying to offer comfort. She begged him to stop, accidentally pinning him to a wall by using her polarity to repel his metallic armor. Remorseful over her actions, she apologized and tearfully ran away.
At the Festival, she was matched up against Penny Polendina, still feeling somewhat troubled. When the match began, Pyrrha was initially able to hold her own against Penny's continuous onslaught of attacks, but it quickly became clear that she had been put on the defensive, even being momentarily disarmed. Pyrrha was forced to use her polarity to counter Penny's laser and sword attacks.
However, unbeknownst to Pyrrha, Emerald Sustrai, watching from the sidelines, used her hallucinations Semblance to make it appear as if Penny had thousands of swords. In desperation, Pyrrha unleashed an over-strength pulse of magnetic force, which tore the robotic Penny to pieces with her own weapons. Pyrrha was left in utter shock.
The audience was equally shocked and appalled. Cinder Fallpromptly hijacked the media and gave her speech to the world, in which she declared Pyrrha's actions to be those of a merciless killer.
=== The Battle of Beacon ===
Pyrrha was among the group of students present at Amity Colosseum at the beginning of the next Grimm attack on Vale. She was alone with Penny's severed body in the fighting area when a Giant Nevermore broke into the stadium. Many of her fellow students were there to defeat it. Pyrrha apologized to Ruby for destroying Penny, but Ruby told her it was not her fault. Jaune deemed the person who hijacked the broadcast as the one responsible for Penny's destruction. The group headed to the docking area of the Colosseum where they encountered General Ironwood. He told them they could either stay and fight the Grimm or flee to safety, no one would judge them. Pyrrha was among the students that chose to fight this battle rather than flee. The group takes an Air Busto Beacon where they begin to fight the Grimm.
Upon arrival at Beacon, Pyrrha saw Ozpin at the base of the CCT, and she moved toward him. Jaune followed her.
She, Ozpin and Jaune took the elevator to the vault, and they ran down the long corridor toward Amber and the Aura machine. Pyrrha entered the pod opposite of Amber, and she nodded to Ozpin to indicate her readiness to receive Amber's Maiden powers. Ozpin instead prompts her speak her agreement aloud, and she answered "Yes". The power transfer began, but Cinder Fall interfered, shooting an arrow into Amber's heart. This killed Amber, and her remaining powers escaped the pods and entered Cinder's body, making her the Fall Maiden instead of Pyrrha. Pyrrha exited her pod and offered to help Ozpin fight Cinder. Ozpin refused the help, instead telling her and Jaune to leave and get Qrow, Ironwood and Glynda to come. Pyrrha and Jaune left the vault.
After fleeing the CCT, Pyrrha realized that there was no time to explain to Jaune what happened. Once she realized that Cinder defeated Ozpin and was heading to the top of the tower, she decided to go back and fight Cinder. Jaune repeatedly protested and refused to let her go, but she interrupted him with a kiss. The two embraced each other, but Pyrrha apologizing, pushed Jaune into a locker and transported him to Vale for his own safety.
Pyrrha then used her Semblance of magnetism to levitate an elevator, heading to Ozpin's office where she directly fights Cinder Fall. The two engaged in an equally-matched duel to the death, until the arrival of the Grimm Dragon provided the necessary opening for Cinder to break Miló, deplete Pyrrha's Aura and wound her with an arrow to the heel.
==== Death ====
As she was left completely defenseless, Pyrrha asked whether Cinder believed in destiny. After Cinder confirmed that she did, Pyrrha was promptly shot in the heart with an arrow. She gasped for breath for a few seconds, before slumping still and disintegrating into ashes when Cinder touched her on the forehead. Her circlet was all that was left behind after her death.
=== Legacy ===
After the fall of Beacon Academy, Jaune has new armor made for him. His shield's new golden accents are partially forged from Pyrrha's circlet.
Jaune trains to a video Pyrrha once recorded for him, swinging with forlorned efforts as he struggles to deal with loss. Pyrrha appears to hesitate to tell Jaune about her feelings toward him, then says that she was happy to be a part of his life and will always be there for him. Jaune has the video set to repeat as he puts great effort into his swings.
Jaune, angered at Qrow's explanation of the Maidens, accuses Ozpin's group of forcing the decision on Pyrrha. Qrow rebuts by saying that it was Pyrrha's choice and that Jaune heard her personally.
In the destroyed Kuroyuri, Jaune tells Ruby that the way she handled Pyrrha's death, among other things, gave Jaune, Ren and Nora courage.
After settling in Mistral, Jaune, Ren and Nora sit in quiet remembrance of Pyrrha and Ren's father.
The specter of Pyrrha's death serves as an undercurrent driving the Battle of Haven. Jaune, upon seeing Cinder, breaks down and demands to know why she caused so many deaths and fights Cinder directly. Upon witnessing Jaune attempt to fight Cinder alone, Ruby has a flashback to Pyrrha's death, which causes her to briefly unleash her Silver Eye powers once more before Emerald interrupts.
An illusion of Pyrrha would be used by Neo to taunt Ruby and cause her to drink tea with a leave of the Great Tree.
Category:Synopsis