Myrtenaster

—The SDC Secretary to Weiss Schnee

**Myrtenaster** is the signature weapon of Weiss Schnee in the American animated webseries *RWBY*. It is a rapier that has the ability to be infused with different types of elemental Dust.

## Description

### Appearance

Myrtenaster is a standard-length rapier, silver in color with black etchings along the blade and hilt. Housed in the hilt is a revolving chamber of Dust vials, which can be switched out via turning the handle. A revolver-like hammer is located between two of the decorative prongs, and a trigger is located on the underside.

### Powers and Abilities

In addition to being an extremely durable weapon, Myrtenaster's most prominent ability is the fusion of Dust into the blade. Dust is an elemental energy source, and up to six vials of Dust can be loaded into Myrtenaster's chambers. Using the revolving chamber, the wielder can select a type of Dust, then pull the trigger to infuse the blade with Dust, giving the weapon elemental attacks such as fire, ice, lightning, and wind. When in need of reloading, Myrtenaster's blade and hilt detach via a hinge for easy access to the chambers. Additionally, Myrtenaster has been frequently used by Weiss to channel her Semblance, which is the creation of energy-based objects called Glyphs that can effect the environment, such as propelling herself, slowing time, repelling objects and people, and summoning avatars of defeated opponents. Using Myrtenaster, Weiss infuses Dust with her Glyphs with Dust for elemental properties.

## History

Myrtenaster first appeared in the series' "White Trailer", where Weiss demonstrated the weapon's elemental attacks by using it against a giant Arma Gigas. It is revealed in the manga companion that this fight is decreed by her father. Upon succeeding, Weiss is allowed to attend Beacon Academy, a combat school in the Kingdom of Vale, to train to become a Huntress.

During initiation, Weiss uses Myrtenaster to fight off a pack of Beowolf Grimm with the aid of her new partner Ruby Rose. However, a mishap with a fire attack causes a forest fire, forcing the two to flee. They end up chased by a giant Nevermore and Death Stalker Grimm, and Weiss uses an ice-based attack to freeze the Nevermore's tail to a cliff face. She then uses her Glyphs to propel Ruby to a point where she can successfully defeat the monster.

Weiss is named a part of Team RWBY under Ruby's leadership. In an attempt to prove herself, she volunteers to fight a Borbatusk Grimm in a demonstration, which manages to disarm her. Weiss is able to recover Myrtenaster and defeat the Grimm.

Later on, Weiss and her team go to find and face the criminal Roman Torchwick, who apprehends a mech suit and gives chase. Weiss uses Myrtenaster in the battle for elemental Glyphs to help out her teammates, such as making Ruby's sniper shots do ice damage and make Blake perceive time differently.

The team is later tasked with investigating the ruins of the settlement of Mountain Glenn. Weiss fights Grimm all day, and finds out that night that Torchwick and the terrorist organization the White Fang are hiding beneath the city, and sending bomb-filled train to breach Vale. She engages in combat with the White Fang Lieutenant on the train, but is defeated. Upon seeing that the train will crash, Weiss uses Myrtenaster to create an ice shield to save her and her allies. She then fights off the Grimm attacking through the breach, saving the city.

Weiss later carries Myrtenaster with her in an investigation into the corrupt Merlot Industries, and uses it against the Mutated Grimm and Androids produced by the evil Dr. Merlot.

Team RWBY then participates in the Vytal Festival Tournament, where they compete against other teams in sporting combat matches. Weiss uses Myrtenaster to create ice balls and ramps to incapacitate the opposition and help her team, winning the first match and moving on to the second. In between matches, Wiess is instructed by her elder sister Winter on how to use Myrtenaster and her Glyphs for summoning, which Weiss has yet to master. In the next match, her Dust attacks are not as effective, so she uses a physical maneuver to help win. Though they move on, Weiss sits out the final match, instead opting to send her teammate Yang Xiao Long to the singles match.

However, the Tournament is sabotaged by the White Fang and the supervillain Cinder Fall, who lure Grimm into the city. Weiss stays to defend against Grimm, the White Fang, and hacked military robots, and finally manages to summon part of the Arma Gigas she previously fought and defeated. It is also during this time that Weiss observes her friend and fellow student Velvet Scarlatina use her weapon Anesidora, which creates hard-light copies of others' weapons, to replicate Myrtenaster in combat.

Weiss manages to win, but Vale falls to the Grimm and she is taken home by her father, who refuses to let her return to school or combat. Several months later, Weiss begins to see her father's villainous side and retaliates by practicing with Myrtenaster in her bedroom, finally mastering summoning. She sneaks away, running off to reform Team RWBY.

On her journey to Mistral, her airship is attacked by Lancer Grimm, and Weiss uses Myrtenaster and Glyphs to fight them. However, they manage to down her airship. Weiss survives the crash, but is taken hostage by the criminal Branwen Tribe, who steal Myrtenaster and plan to traffic her for profit. However, she manages to use her summons to break free and reunite with Yang, and with reluctant help from the Tribe's leader Raven Branwen, manages to get to Mistral and find Ruby and her other allies.

However, it is revealed that Mistral's Haven Academy is the next target for Cinder, who is now revealed to be working for the sinister Salem. Headmaster Leonardo Lionhart reveals himself to be a traitor, and Weiss and her allies are forced to battle him and Salem's Inner Circle. Weiss is gravely injured, but is returned to health by her friend Jaune Arc, and returns to the battle, summoning a Queen Lancer to help finish the fight and drive off the attackers. The target of the attack, a mystical lantern known as the Relic of Knowledge, is secured, and Weiss and her allies decide to take it to the city of Atlas for safety.

On the trip to Atlas, their train is attacked by Grimm. Weiss uses Glyphs to hold them off, but the train partially derails. Weiss and her allies make it to an abandoned village, where they are encountered by willpower-draining Grimm known as the Apathy. As the monsters give chase, Weiss uses Myrtenaster to set fire to the pack behind her, slowing them enough for her and her allies to escape.

The group makes it to the city of Argus, but are not allowed into Atlas due to an embargo and travel restriction. The group attempt to steal an airship, but are attacked by Atlas Special Operative Caroline Cordovin in a mech suit. She shoots at the group, but Weiss blocks it with a wall of ice. After saving Argus from a giant Grimm, Cordovin allows the group passage.

Upon reaching Atlas, Weiss and the others are tasked with defeating a Giest Grimm in an abandoned mine. They succeed, and as a reward, are promoted to professional Huntsmen and Huntresses. When Weiss learns that her father allied with Arthur Watts, a member of Salem's Inner Circle, to rig an election, she arrests him by summoning the Arma Giagas to her aid. However, Watts used her father's information to hack into the security of the nearby town of Mantle and allow a Grimm breach, and Weiss goes to combat the threat.

However, after a series of misunderstandings and deception, Team RWBY and their allies find themselves at odds with Atlesian General James Ironwood, who wants to abandon the town of Mantle in order to launch a communications tower to connect the whole world. Weiss and her allies oppose him, and he calls for their arrest. Weiss uses ice and summons to defeat the General's Ace Operatives, then makes her way to help her sister Winter. However, the Relic of Knowledge is stolen by Cinder's associate Neopolitan, Ironwood sees them as enemies, and Winter is obligated to attempt to arrest hem. Weiss escapes with her allies, but Salem herself arrives to wage war on Atlas.

## Appearances in Other Media

### *Ten Little Roosters*

A replica of Myrtenaster was used in the Rooster Teeth webseries *Ten Little Roosters*, where *RWBY* writer Miles Luna uses it to defend himself from a murderer.

### *RWBY Chibi*

In the non-canon comedy spinoff series *RWBY Chibi*, Weiss again uses Myrtenaster for a variety of combat scenes, as well as to freeze people and objects in place.

### *RWBY* (mobile game)

Weiss uses Myrtenaster in the now-unavailable Chinese mobile game.

### *BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle*

Weiss appears as a fighter in the crossover fighting video game *BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle*, wielding Myrtenaster for physical attacks and ice Dust-based attacks.

### *Man at Arms: Reforged*

Myrtenaster appeared as the main subject of an episode of the reality webseries *Man at Arms: Reforged*, where Baltimore Knife & Sword forged a real-life Myrtenaster.

### *RWBY: Amity Arena*

In the mobile video game *RWBY: Amity Arena*, Weiss appears as a part of four units: Ice Weiss, Summoner Weiss, Ice Flower, and Freezerburn; Ice Weiss uses Myrtenaster to freeze a section of the battlefield, Summoner Weiss uses it to summon an Arma Gigas, Ice Flower enhances Ruby's sniper shots with freezing ice, and Freezerburn creates a large patch of fog that disrupts enemy units.

### *RWBY: Official Manga Anthology*

Weiss appears in her own chapter of the second manga spinoff, though Myrtenaster only appears in a single panel.

### *RWBY: The Official Manga*

Weiss and Myrtenaster appear in the third manga spinoff of *RWBY*, where they fight Roman Torchwick.

### *DEATH BATTLE*

Weiss appeared as a combatant in the seventh season of the animated webseries *DEATH BATTLE*, where she fought Mitsuru Kirijo from the *Persona* series. Weiss used Myrtenaster in the battle for a range of elemental attacks and summons, but ultimately lost.

### *RWBY* (DC Comic series)

Weiss uses Myrtenaster in battles against Grimm outside of Beacon Academy throughout the DC Comic adaptation.

### *SMITE*

Weiss appears as a guest character in the fantasy video game *SMITE*, using Myrtenaster for ice attacks.

### *Knights Chronicle*

Weiss appears as a guest character in the mobile RPG *Knights Chronicle*, where she uses Myrtenaster for water-based attacks.

## Trivia

* According to early concept art of Weiss and her weapon, it seems that Myrtenaster did not have a conventional hilt, but instead possessed a classic gun shape, with the barrel lengthening into the blade and a magazine or grip behind where the Dust was supposedly loaded.
* Myrtenaster (Myrten Aster) is German for a family of flowers (Myrtle) that are typically found to be white, but can come in a variety of other colors.
* Despite Weiss being left-handed, she frequently sheathes Myrtenaster on her left side.