Aura (RWBY)

==What is Aura?==
Aura is a core ability in RWBY, a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, whether they are a meager shopkeep or a renowned knightWorld of Remnant: Aura. Aura is the manifestation of one's soul in RWBY and can be used for a wide range of abilities. The specific abilities and their strengths differ from individual to individual and are dependent on a number of factors, such as experience, training and innate skill. It is predominantly used for protection from harm, and most people with Aura develop an active application called a Semblance.
==Powers Granted By Aura==
V3e1 41.png|Aura reserve 'health bars'
V4_07_00070.png|Aura Flicker 1
V4_07_00071.png|Aura Flicker 2
V5_13_00108.png|Aura Flicker 3
V3_06_Aura_Deplete.png|Aura Breaking 1
V7_13_00071.png|Aura Breaking 2
V7_13_00137.png|Aura Breaking 3
V8_08_00052.png|Aura Breaking 4
weissvernalbreak.gif|Aura Breaking 5
7ea9d1c4f01adc54797cad28c3199416fa6eb9ccr1-400-200_00.gif|Localized Aura Shield (Ren)
AlienatedQuarrelsomeHornedviper-size_restricted.gif|Localized Aura Shield (Cinder)
79ed6203f1a4e4bf77136ee603c6ede1f9c8513br1-480-276_hq.gif|Localized Aura Shield (Amber)
Forcefield Creation: The primary function of Aura, an invisible forcefield used as a defense mechanism to absorb the impact of attacks. For trained users this barrier is passive and coats the entire body, and protects the user from attacks that would normally be lethal. However, this does not make the user invincible as each user has a limited supply of Aura, which can only take damage up to a certain point, and the more damage they take, the more their Aura reserves will deplete. The depletion of Aura is depicted as a 'health bar' by Scrolls, devices that, among other things, track Aura reserves and strength in real-time and display the readout in the form of a bar that shrinks with every hit. Aura being completely depleted is visually represented as a colored sheen glowing along the length of a person's with colored particles flying off the body, indicating that they can now be physically injured. Aura flickering means it is close to being depleted or the absorbed strike was particularly strongRWBY Rewind: All the Answers - #13. While Aura protects its users users from damage long as it is up, they can still feel sensations such as pain and heat RWBY Volume 3 Live Stream.
CostlyElementaryAmazontreeboa-max-1mb.gif|Aura Amplification (Ren)
94e9ee94723c4d90f1ecc8ca44d7a5a9d3c62f67_00.gif|Aura Amplification (Fox)
awcx04u725y61.gif|Aura Amplification (Arslan)
yangvsmercshockwave.gif|Aura Amplification (Yang and Mercury)
AdventurousRecentGangesdolphin-max-1mb.gif|Aura Slash (Qrow)
d113d33a17aa2f567e601d1be84003ce.gif|Aura Slash (Blake)
blakeslash.gif|Aura Slash 2 (Blake)
hazel impaled.png|Hazel is impaled through the chest
V5_11_00071.png|Weiss is impaled...
V5C12_00082.png|...and Jaune heals her by passing his Aura reserve to her
V7_05_00054.png|Neon gets a black eye...
V7_05_00055.png|...and its healed in an instant
Statistics Amplification: Aura grants all wielders a baseline ability of being able to empower themselves with Aura, allowing them to channel Aura into their physical strikes to empower themRWBY Volume 1 Episode 6. This is most commonly depicted as shockwaves being created by the user's physical strikesRWBY Volume 3 Episode 1RWBY Volume 2 Episode 12. In addition, Aura also empowers the wielder's weapons and equipment by using them as conduits for their Aura. This application allows some users to project their Aura as a blade of energy, increasing their attack range and strengthRWBY Volume 3 Episode 3RWBY Volume 2 Episode 4RWBY Volume 2 Episode 11. This also extends to prosthetic limbs, such as those used by Yang Xiao Long, James Ironwood, and Tyrian Callows. Weapon empowerment extends to virtually anything that the wielder picks up to use as a weapon, with trained Aura users being able to even wield food items as martial weapons by extending their Aura into themRWBY Volume 2 Episode 1.
Regeneration: Aura grants the user a mild healing factorRWBY Volume 5 Episode 4, able to automatically heal minor wounds such as cuts and black eyesRWBY Volume 7 Episode 5. Users with exceedingly high Aura reserves, such as Jaune Arc and Hazel Rainart, can heal from impalementRWBY Volume 5 Episode 13.
Enhanced Senses/Extrasensory Perception: Aura grants the user enhanced senses, allowing them to detect danger in their vicinity, described specifically a sense of being watched without knowing that someone was there. Skilled Aura users are able to enhance this ability, allowing them to detect enemies approaching from a distance and even fight completely blindRWBY: After the Fall. Some, such as Fox Alistair, are able to amplify their senses to the point that they passively sense the location and strength of Aura users in the area, identify specific Auras from kilometers away, and even identify interconnected AurasRWBY: Before the Dawn.
Non-Physical Interaction with Preparation: If attacked by a Chill, specialized Huntsmen are often used to save people by removing the incorporeal Grimm from a person's body.RWBY Reddit AMARWBY Reddit AMA
Resistance to Extreme Heat and Cold: Aura protects the wielder from both extreme heat and extreme cold. The limits of heat that Aura is able to protect the user from include, but are not limited to, the heat of fire and being engulfed in flamesRWBY Volume 2 Episode 11, the direct heat of steamRWBY Volume 3 Episode 4, and being fully submerged in lavaRWBY Volume 3 Episode 5. The limits of cold that Aura is able to protect the user from include, but are not limited to sub-zero temperatures, allowing them to be encased in ice without being cold, walk through a blizzard in casual clothing with no discomfortRWBY Volume 6 Episode 5, and traverse the kingdom of Atlas, which resides in Remnant's North PoleWorld of Remnant: Atlas, without wearing any protective gear. However, as with combat damage, constant exposure to extreme temperatures will deplete one's Aura eventually.
==Semblances==
Semblance is a term used to describe the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. The power associated with a wielder's semblance is completely unique. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. 
*Function: Those that use Semblances are able to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to the nature of their power. Some individuals, such as Weiss Schnee, can use Aura to create "glyphs" that generate some desired effect - the most prominent being sudden disruptions in movement and/or bursts of momentum. Others have the ability to enhance their performance, such as Ruby Rose and Harriet Bree, who are able to move at incredible speeds. There are also those who can generate and/or manipulate a specific aspect of nature, like Pyrrha Nikos who can control magnetic forces. However, there also exist Semblances that depend on external factors in order to function, such as Yang Xiao Long and Nora Valkyrie, who gain enhance their strength by taking damage and absorbing electricity respectively. Using Dust, certain individuals can modify their Semblances with elements, such as Weiss using Myrtenaster to change her glyphs and Blake inserting Dust vials into Gambol Shroud to give her Shadow clones elemental properties.
*Unlocking: Semblances are unlocked during strong physical or emotional events. For example, Ruby unlocked her Semblance while training and Nora unlocked hers when she was struck by lightning due to outside physical forces that stimulated them. Auras and Semblances can also be unlocked due to severe emotional stress or turmoil. Lie Ren unlocked his when his hometown was overrun by Grimm and his family was killedRWBY Volume 4 Episode 10. Cinder Fall unlocked hers after she began reaching her breaking point and experiencing severe anger and frustration due to the years of abuse she enduredRWBY Volume 8 Episode 6. There seems to be no age requirement for unlocking one's Semblances, as seen where Gillian Asturias unlocked hers before even being born.
*Evolution: According to Winter Schnee, Semblances are like muscles and are able to grow and evolveRWBY Volume 4 Episode 3. This is shown numerous times through the series, such as Weiss' Semblance evolving to include her mastery of summoning. Another example is Blake Belladonna, whose Semblance only allowed allowed her to create clones that pushed her in a certain direction, but as of "Of Runaways and Stowaways", they can stay around for longer and even interact with her. Another smaller example is where Emerald Sustrai can easily use her Semblance on three people, when years ago she had difficulties using it on two people. The earliest known instance of Semblance evolution is Ruby Rose's Semblance. At first, she could simply move at incredible speeds whilst leaving behind trails of rose petals and maintaining her physical body. From Volume 2 onward, most notably in "Best Day Ever" and "PvP", she was shown to transform her body into a cluster of rose petals. In the Volume 4 Character Short, she demonstrated the ability to divide herself into multiple clusters. A Semblance can also grow to gain a unique new ability altogether. A good example would be Lie Ren who at first only possessed the ability to mask emotions, but later also gained the ability to see the emotions of othersRWBY Volume 8 Episode 7.
*Drawbacks: While Semblances offer an array of powers, they also have several potential weaknesses depending on the user. The most significant weakness is that Semblances are fueled by AuraRooster Teeth Tumblr Q&A October 5, 2017, meaning that when completely depleted a user will be unable to access their abilities, and some Semblances are so powerful that using them will quickly drain their Aura. Emotional turmoil or stress can affect one's use of their Semblance either negatively or positively, as exhibited in "Destiny", where Pyrrha Nikos' Semblance activates while talking to Jaune and accidentally slams him into the stone wall. Later, in "PvP", Pyrrha temporarily warps her weapon and shield for a moment during her tournament round. This phenomenon is exhibited by Weiss in "Tipping Point", when she accidentally summons a Boarbatusk, which then attacks a party guest. The earliest and most frequent example of this phenomenon is Yang Xiao Long's habit of accidentally activating her Semblance when she is angry. In the case of Qrow Branwen and Clover Ebi, it is also possible for a Semblance to be either uncontrollable or permanently active, which can have negative effects on the surroundings depending on the effects of the Semblance.
==Aura Durability and Mechanics==
As mentioned previously, the depletion of Aura is depicted as a 'health bar' by Scrolls, devices that, among other things, track Aura reserves and strength in real-time and display the readout in the form of a bar that shrinks with every hit. This gives Aura an unconventional form of defense as it is not simply a barrier with a flat durability but rather a barrier with a set damage cap that it can block before breaking. Aside from being able to block attacks from opponents on even grounds, Aura is also consistently able to block attacks from opponents with higher Attack Potency, as seen in fights such as:
*Team RWBY vs The Atlesian Paladin
*Mercury and Emerald vs Amber
*Team RNJR vs Tyrian
*Ren, Nora, and Oscar vs Hazel
*Yang vs Adam
*Ruby and co. vs The Atlesian Colossus
*Winter and Penny vs Cinder
*The Ace Ops vs Penny
*Hazel Rainart vs Salem
Due to this mechanic, however, this also means that characters weaker than the user are also able to bring down their Aura if given enough time, a fact which is prevalent throughout the series and the main reason why Grimm, which are largely fodder to the main cast, are still considered threats in large numbers.
==References==
Category:Verse-specific Powers and Abilities
Category:RWBY