Qrow Branwen

**Qrow Branwen** (pronounced "*Crow*") is the younger twin brother of Raven Branwen, biological uncle of Yang Xiao Long and honorary uncle of Ruby Rose.

Qrow's weapon of choice is a scythe called Harbinger.

He is a former member of the Branwen Tribe as well as a former teacher at Signal Academy. In his youth, Qrow attended Beacon Academy with his sister, and together they were on a team with Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, known as Team STRQ.

Qrow is also involved with a secret brotherhood led by Ozpin, whose purpose is to protect Remnant and is privy to knowledge kept secret from most of the world.

## History

Qrow was raised alongside his twin sister, Raven Branwen, in a bandit tribe outside the Kingdoms.

When they were of age, the tribe sent the twins to combat school in order to learn how to counter the Huntsmen. From there, they later enrolled in Beacon Academy and formed Team STRQ with fellow students Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. Qrow declared them to be the coolest team to ever graduate from Beacon. Sometime during or perhaps before his time at Beacon, Qrow learned of a legendary scythe wielder known as the "Grimm Reaper". Becoming inspired by, and wanting to become just as good as her, he became a scythe wielder too, naming his scythe Harbinger.

According to Taiyang, while they were still students at Beacon Academy, they tricked Qrow into wearing a skirt by claiming it was a kilt. It was his first time wearing a school uniform, and Qrow had no reservations about showing off his legs to the female students.

Following the team's graduation, Qrow became both a maternal and honorary uncle to Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose, who are Taiyang's children with Raven and Summer, respectively. After Summer's death, when Yang took Ruby on a search for Raven, Qrow saved the lives of both his nieces from Beowolves. He also became a teacher at Signal Academy alongside Taiyang.

Qrow at some point in his life would become a part of Ozpin's Group. He and Raven accepted the responsibility of reconnaissance, tracking Salem's forces and searching for the new hosts of Maiden powers when unclear. Along with this, Ozpin gave both twins the ability to turn into birds, and at some point, Raven deserted these responsibilities and returned to the tribe. Qrow however, refused to go back to the tribe with her, seeing as "killers and thieves" and remaining loyal to Ozpin, straining their relationship and causing them to feud ever since.

Eventually, he trained Ruby to become a Huntress, which included instruction on how to use "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed", Crescent Rose. At some point after instructing Ruby, Qrow resigned from his teaching position at Signal Academy as mentioned in "Welcome to Haven".

At one point, Qrow recorded the story of *The Two Brothers* as a fairy tale that would be collected and annotated by Ozpin.

Around the events of the "Black" Trailer, he encountered Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black when the three of them ambushed and attacked Amber, the Fall Maiden. Qrow arrived in time before Cinder could fully steal Amber's powers. Because of Emerald's Semblance, Qrow was unable to make out Cinder's face and identity. After the three retreated, Qrow took a weakened Amber to Ozpin's Group.

Qrow is the narrator to the intro to *RWBY: The Grimm Campaign*.

At the start of the story, when the Huntsmen Pyke Rite, Arrastra Skye, Asher Mora, and Fenix Nemean accept a mission in Kuchinashi, Qrow sends a message to the group's airship to warn the group of a rise in active underworld activity, factions war, and Grimm activity, telling them that Leonardo Lionheart's call for Huntsmen won't find him or his allies many friends due to his status as a Faunus. As Qrow finishes his warning, he begins to tell the group he can't send them on this message with a clear conscious, but before he can say why, the speaker cuts off in static as a group of Grimm charge at the airship.

Mistral's underworld begins to see a dramatic and public rise in activity and warfare, Lionheart puts out an open call for more Huntsmen in the kingdom, as a show of force to remind the underworld there are limits for them. He assigns a mission to Kuchinashi, but doesn't seem to follow the Huntsmen who take the mission.

When Ruby is being questioned by Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch about her fight with Roman Torchwick and his men, Ozpin asks her how she acquired her skills with Crescent Rose.

Ruby explains that her Uncle Qrow taught her, mentioning that she was "complete garbage before he took [her] under his wing".

Ozpin received a message from Qrow via Scroll saying "Queen has pawns". A silhouette of his face can be seen in his profile on Ozpin's Scroll.

Qrow is mentioned in a conversation between James Ironwood and Ozpin.

Yang tells Blake Belladonna about her search for her mother, Raven. She describes how, while she was barely able to stand, Qrow saved her and Ruby from a pack of Grimm.

Before the 40th Vytal Festival began, Human Nextwork tracked him down after he intoxicated himself at a cantina. He provided them with information on Raven Branwen and her Semblance before he left by turning into his crow form.

Qrow makes his first appearance as a 3D model in "New Challengers...". He sits at a bar watching the Vytal Festival Tournament matches and drinking. He is constantly unimpressed by the matches, even calling one a mess. Outside the bar window, he sees an airship transporting Winter Schnee, and states that it is the fight he is there for.

He heads to Beacon grounds, and upon arriving, destroys two Atlesian Knight-200s in Winter's entourage, decapitating one of them. This gets the attention of Winter, who apparently already knows Qrow. Qrow accuses Winter's superior, General Ironwood, of being a sellout and betraying Professor Ozpin. He also mocks Atlas' ability to protect the people.

Angered by Qrow's accusations and disrespect, Winter draws her sword and attacks him, and he retaliates with Harbinger. The pair then begins to fight in the crowded Beacon courtyard. However, the fight is interrupted by Ironwood, who orders Winter to stand down. Ironwood is shortly followed by Ozpin and Glynda, who ask that Qrow "have a word". Qrow briefly and affectionately greets his niece, Ruby, before leaving with Ozpin and Glynda.

That evening, Ironwood, Winter, Qrow, Glynda and Ozpin meet at Ozpin's office. The meeting is tense, with Winter and Qrow blaming each other for starting the altercation. Ironwood orders Winter to leave, and the remaining four discuss matters of security, and the threat looming in the shadows. Qrow, who has been away for months on a reconnaissance mission, reveals that the mysterious infiltrator who had compromised Beacon is also responsible for Amber's current comatose state and the absence of half her power. He also reveals that he has personally seen some of Salem's creations, and describes them as fear itself.

Qrow also criticizes Ironwood's indiscretion in bringing an enormous fleet of airships to Vale. Ironwood asserts that his forces are necessary and provide a feeling of safety. Ozpin disagrees, however, explaining that the people would interpret the presence of the army as a sign of conflict, spreading concern and fear among the populace – conditions which are likely to cause a resurgence of the Grimm. Ozpin concludes that their next move should be to find a "Guardian" to protect and reassure the populace.

The next day, Qrow plays video games with Ruby and Yang in Team RWBY's dorm room as he recounts the events of his last mission. Qrow visits a seedy village in Mistral, where he enters a bar full of "low-lifes" and rogue Huntsmen in the employ of "less than reputable people". As Ruby and Yang are enthralled by his story, he abruptly ends it by remarking on the skirt length of the attractive innkeeper. The abrupt end causes Yang to lose against Qrow in the first round of the game, to which she exclaims, "You are the worst!"

When Ruby and Yang remark on their experience, due to their success stopping Roman Torchwick, Qrow calls them naive and notes that they have a lot to learn. After Torchwick's capture, all criminal activity and violence in Vale abruptly stopped, which Qrow finds suspicious. He also reminisces about his time at Beacon and his former team, Team STRQ, which also includes Yang and Ruby's parents. Qrow concludes that they both have a lot to learn before they can call themselves Huntresses.

He returns to Ozpin's office, telling him that Ironwood is making him look like a fool. Ozpin says that the general's heart is in the right place, to which Qrow remarks that he wonders if Ironwood has a heart at all. He asks Ozpin if he has decided on a guardian figure, and Ozpin affirms that it is Pyrrha Nikos.

Qrow remains in Ozpin's office as he holds a lighthearted conversation with Pyrrha. When Pyrrha says she would not have been as successful at Beacon without her teammates, Qrow indicates his belief in the opposite. Clearly uncomfortable to begin with, Pyrrha finally asks who Qrow is. After Ozpin tells Pyrrha that *The Story of the Seasons* is true, Qrow and the rest of Ozpin's inner circle reveal that it is their job, alongside being headmasters and teachers, to protect the four Maidens. Qrow calls the rules that govern the transfer of their powers "stupid and convoluted". He notes that this transfer must happen quickly, stating that the world is getting closer to a war against Grimm.

Qrow appears in Team RWBY's dorm room, talking to Yang after her matchup with Mercury and the fiasco that followed. After questioning her, he concludes that she was probably crazy, and he sarcastically compares her emotional state to that of Blake's.

After Yang mentions that she saw her mother, Raven Branwen, Qrow confirms her suspicions and proceeds to mention that Raven, his sister, sent Yang a message that he was waiting to tell her at the right time. The message is that Raven saved her once, but she will not save her again the next time she gets in trouble. He also notes that after he was given his most recent assignment, Raven provided him with some information. He says he is willing to help Yang find a means to track her down after he encourages her to move forward from the incident.

After Grimm breach the city following Penny and Pyrrha's match, he visits Ozpin's office with Glynda. Ozpin instructs both of them to fight off the impending horde.

Qrow fights against creatures of Grimm with Glynda in Vale. In the midst of battle, the AK-200 androids turn their attention away from fighting the Grimm and instead begin to attack him and Glynda. Later, an earthquake occurs, and Qrow sticks his weapon into the ground to keep his balance.

He later takes care of a squadron of Knights before noticing Ironwood on the streets. As he transforms his weapon into a scythe, he immediately growls, charging towards the now-intimidated General, only to attack the Griffon behind Ironwood.

Qrow later clarifies that he knows the rogue Atlesian technology was not Ironwood's doing and proceeds to establish a safe zone in Vale under Ironwood's instructions. He also snarkily comments on the crashing of Ironwood's airship in the streets, stating "It won't be much of a walk".

After helping to evacuate Beacon, Qrow managed to rescue Ruby Rose while she was unconscious and retrieved The Long Memory.

After the incident, he manages to deliver Yang and Ruby to their home in Patch, leaving them in the care of their father, Taiyang. Once Ruby awakes, he explains that Ruby possesses a power that is single-handedly responsible for freezing the Wyvern to the tower and that she is destined to lead the life of a warrior. He then tells her that, with Ozpin missing, he is taking over Ozpin's work for him, going to Haven Academy in Mistral to learn about the conspiracy against Vale.

From a precipice, he sees Ruby and her friends begin the journey to Haven. Holding The Long Memory, he jumps out of sight and turns into a bird to keep an eye on the group.

Months later, Qrow is seen protecting Ruby and the others from Grimm without their knowledge as they travel to Higanbana. He later sits in a tavern opposite from Team RNJR's inn. There, his twin sister Raven gets his attention by buying him a drink. She criticizes him for leaving the bandit tribe they grew up in, calling them their family. As their leader, she is determined to ensure their survival, even if it means surviving off of others' misfortune. Raven asks Qrow if Salem has "the relic", but Qrow says he does not know and in turn asks her where the Spring Maiden is. Raven refuses to tell him and leaves the tavern by creating a portal with Omen.

Sometime later, in the shape of a crow, he hurriedly flies towards the group when they fight Tyrian Callows in Oniyuri before reverting to his human form. As Tyrian prepares to stab Ruby with his tail, Qrow quickly shields his niece, holding his weapon behind his back to parry the attack. It quickly becomes clear to Qrow that Tyrian is there to capture Ruby on Salem's orders and a fierce fight begins. The two are evenly matched, but when Ruby joins in Qrow is forced to save her and gets grazed by Tyrian's stinger. Tyrian, in turn, gets his stinger severed by Ruby and is forced to retreat. Wounded and unable to stay upright, Qrow is bombarded with questions by a concerned Team RNJR, who wants to know what is going on. Qrow replies, "What's your favorite fairy tale?"

By a campfire that evening, a bandaged Qrow fills Team RNJR in on the tales of the Maidens and the deity brothers. He also reveals that his Semblance of misfortune is the reason why he followed instead of joined them. By morning, purple fluid is seeping out through the wound Tyrian gave him, and Qrow is coughing large amounts of it up as well. Out of it and mumbling about the past, he gets carried by Jaune and Ruby on a makeshift stretcher to the reportedly destroyed town of Kuroyuri. After arriving in Kuroyuri, Ruby and Jaune are unable to find medicine for Qrow.

While he is barely conscious, the Nuckelavee arrives and attacks Team RNJR. When it turns its attention to him, he is rescued and carried away by Jaune, with Ren using his Semblance on the two of them as they get away from the battle. After being set down at a safe distance, he grabs Jaune's hand, about to say something, but he loses consciousness again. After the battle, Qrow wakes to find Ruby at his side. Knowing that she and her friends defeated the Grimm, he congratulates her. He was then carried away on a stretcher to a Mistral airship.

In the city of Mistral, Qrow receives treatment and rests in a room he shares with Ruby.

After making a full recovery, Qrow shows Team RNJR a high view of Mistral and tells them about the city's culture. Afterward, Qrow takes the students to Haven Academy to meet with Professor Lionheart. They learn the Grimm attacked Mistral shortly after the Fall of Beacon due to the high levels of negativity and that Lionheart excused the teachers. Qrow becomes infuriated the Relic has been left unguarded. He reveals to the students the association between Maidens and Relics before sharing with everyone that he believes the Spring Maiden is with Raven. The Headmaster insists on waiting before taking action. At a bar that night, Oscar Pine approaches Qrow and asks for the cane on behalf of Ozpin. Qrow returns with him to Team RNJR, drunkenly giddy that he "did it!".

He then watches as Ozpin reveals himself to the students and explains the nature of his existence. When the former Headmaster states they need to protect the Relic of Knowledge, Qrow agrees it is best not to let anyone else know Oscar is the new reincarnation. Ozpin tasks him with enlisting the aid of trustworthy Huntsmen for help.

Qrow starts his search in a restaurant, asking the shop owner for a Huntsman on his list. To his dismay, the owner angrily kicks him out from the Huntsman owing him money. Qrow searches Mistral for the Huntsmen on his list, but none are available. Returning to the restaurant, he pays the owner the Lien the Huntsman owed him. That evening, as Qrow contemplates the missing Huntsmen, Yang and Weiss arrive unexpectedly, surprising him. He takes them to Ruby and watches as the girls happily share a hug of reunion.

Qrow gathers the former Beacon students after they share a meal. Yang prompts Ozpin to talk about his turning the Branwen twins to birds. Qrow quells the ensuing discontent, saying it was their choice to do reconnaissance for Ozpin and that it involved the powers of turning into birds.

One morning, Qrow spots a raven outside the lodging and gives it a suspicious look. He is then summoned by Oscar as Ozpin needed to speak with him. The two of them discuss their current situation with Qrow pointing out the absence of the Huntsmen in Mistral, meaning that they are at a great disadvantage against Salem's forces. Then Ruby appears and asks about the Relic of Choice, with Ozpin assuring her that it is safe and much harder to find than the other three Relics. Suddenly, Qrow receives a call from Lionheart who asks him to come to Haven tomorrow night to discuss the raiding party for the bandit tribe. As Ruby hurries to fetch the others, Qrow and Ozpin share their suspicions about the Haven headmaster.

On the night of the full moon, Qrow and the students travel to Haven to meet with Lionheart. He is suspicious of the Headmaster's nervous behavior, but when Yang calls out to her mother, Qrow immediately opens fire, despite Raven being in bird form. Qrow confronts her on her presence and accuses her of holding the Spring Maiden. When Raven confirms this, he demands his sister hand the Maiden over but is refused on the grounds that Salem cannot be defeated. After Ruby's failed attempt to convince Raven to join them, Qrow and the students are ambushed by Cinder's Faction. Upon learning that Lionheart has been working for Salem all along, Qrow realizes that the Haven headmaster allowed Salem's forces to kill off the Huntsmen of Mistral. When Jaune angrily confronts Cinder about the murders she has committed, Qrow tries to calm the students and prevent a fight. His efforts are in vain, however, as Cinder easily provokes Jaune into attacking her. Qrow ends up fighting his sister and tells her that she has crossed the line, ending his family ties with her.

The fight abruptly ends when Oscar is attacked by Hazel Rainart, and Qrow rushes over to save him, though doing so allows Raven to head for the vault with Vernal and Cinder. The pair finds themselves at a great disadvantage with Hazel's immense strength. Things worsen when Lionheart attacks them with his Dust projectiles, and Qrow is punched in the back by Hazel while protecting Oscar, the force of the blow sending him flying across the Grand Hall. Even with Ren's help, Hazel proves to be too much for Qrow and Oscar. After Nora rescues them and knocks Hazel out of the hall, Qrow is left completely exhausted. He rejoins the fight but is shocked by Hazel's sheer willpower. The battle eventually ends when Yang emerges from the vault with the Relic in hand, but the heroes are caught in a giant illusion created by Emerald where they are shown a terrifying version of Salem.

Afterward, Qrow receives the Relic from Yang and learns that Cinder is missing and Vernal is dead. However, his niece gives a vague answer about Raven's disappearance, though Qrow does not question further and remarks they are all glad to see Yang safe. Turning his attention to Oscar, Qrow finds that Ozpin is resting after the exhausting battle. He then receives the Headmaster's message to take the Relic to Atlas. After laying the boy to let him rest, Qrow looks at the Relic as it begins to glow.

Recovering back at the house, Qrow explains to the students that their next move is to travel to Argus, which has the largest Atlas military base. He is confident that the northern kingdom will not abandon it, and believes that they should be able to convince someone to take them north. Qrow is later relieved when Ozpin emerges from his rest and tells everyone about the Relic of Knowledge's abilities, though they cannot use it as the three questions have apparently been used already.

Two weeks following the Battle of Haven, Qrow sends a letter to Ironwood, informing him that he and the Beacon students are on their way to Atlas while giving the official, less than accurate news report on Haven. As he returns to the students, he confronts Dee and Dudley as they try to impress the group to no avail, making fools of them. When they are on the train, Qrow is just about to play a video game with his nieces when Manticore and Sphinx Grimm suddenly attack. During the fight, he becomes upset when Dudley activates the turrets and starts attracting the monsters to the passenger cars.

After tunnel puts a brief pause in the fight, Qrow angrily confronts an injured Dudley about the turrets but is stopped by Ruby, who asks politely. The heroes devise a plan to attract the Grimms' attention away from the passengers, and Ozpin informs them that the monsters are also attracted to the Relic, surprising everyone - including Qrow. Ultimately, Qrow, Oscar and Team RWBY stay in the detached rear cars to fight off the Grimm, while Ren uses his Semblance with Jaune's support to mask the emotions of the passengers in the front cars. In the ensuing fight, Qrow struggles on his own against the Sphinx, but Team RWBY later supports him, and he and Ruby attack together to finish off the Grimm. The Grimm spits a fireball right before its death, which damages the tracks and sends the train crashing into a snowy forest. Maria Calavera, an old woman who was inside the rear cars, exits the train and greets them.

As they recover from the crash, Qrow can only watch the heated argument between Yang and Ozpin, and is stunned when Ruby later summons Jinn from the Relic of Knowledge and briefly looks away in embarrassment. The heroes learn from the being that Ozpin lied to them and that she can still answer two questions. When Qrow speaks up, he is stunned when Weiss, Blake and Yang prepare to fight him, but calmly tells Ruby to do what she believes is right. After Ruby asks Jinn what is it that Ozpin is hiding from them, they are all suddenly separated from one another in a white space. As Jinn answers the question in the form of a story, the heroes find that Salem was once a Human girl locked in a tower.

Jinn goes on to uncover Salem's and Ozpin's pasts, also touching on the gods of Light and Darkness and the origin of the Relics. After Ozpin admits he has no plan to defeat Salem, Qrow is enraged and punches Ozpin into a nearby tree. He opens up about his past, saying nobody except Ozpin wanted him, and he had thought Ozpin gave him a place in this world. His final comment, that meeting Ozpin was the worst luck of his life, had such an effect on Ozpin that the old wizard buried himself deep in Oscar's mind. As the tension rises, Maria directs the group to control their emotions and follow a nearby trail. When Ruby tries to assure Oscar that he is his own person, Qrow coldly stops her by saying that they are better than giving false hope. The heroes then take shelter in Brunswick Farms, despite the fact that the place seemed abandoned.

As they try to enter the main house, Qrow finds the front door locked and warns Team RWBY and Oscar to stay on guard. He then breaks their way through with everyone on high alert. The group then splits to search the house, but they find a pair of decomposed corpses on the bed of the master bedroom. Qrow searches the entire estate and finds that everyone else on the estate suffered the same fate. He then tells Weiss that they have no choice but to spend the night at the house until the storm clears. After Ruby suggests that there should be supplies for them to use, Qrow goes out to do another scout of the area and instructs the others to not go out alone.

That evening, Qrow makes himself the group's watchman and sees that the storm has let up. As Ruby checks on him, he instructs her to tell everyone else to go to sleep so that they can leave first thing in the morning. However, Qrow drinks three whole bottles of alcohol and falls asleep on the job. He is woken up by the sound of a shattered bottle by Ruby, and he realizes that he missed sunrise. As his niece tries to comfort him over his depression, Qrow brushes her away and goes to wake up the others. As everyone else waits outside, Qrow and Ruby push the flatbed behind Bumblebee to hook them together. But just as they are about to go, Qrow's Semblance flattens one of the tires. Angered at his bad luck, he sits down and watches as most of the others stand against Ruby about getting the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas. Ultimately, Ruby accidentally drops the lamp down the well and insists that she's not leaving without it, and Qrow goes back inside the house to drink more alcohol. He finds the bar and drinks to the point where he passes out on the counter, where he is found by Team RWBY and Maria who were fleeing from the Apathy. After he is woken up by Ruby, Qrow is oblivious to the danger they are in until he is pushed out of the house by Ruby and Weiss and sees the approaching Grimm. The group then get on the fixed flatbed and flee from Brunswick Farms. The group learns from Maria about the Apathy, the demise of the farm estate resident, and that Maria was a silver-eyed warrior.

Upon learning that Maria was the legendary Grimm Reaper, Qrow is left astonished and admits his admiration of her, even basing his weapon off of hers. But his praises are shut down by Maria herself, as she calls herself a failure as a Huntress. Suddenly, their conversation is cut by a call from Jaune on Ruby's Scroll, and they later find that they have reached Argus at long last.

The group soon reunites with Team JNR and ride the trolley through the city, eventually meeting Jaune's older sister Saphron Cotta-Arc, her wife Terra Cotta-Arc and their son Adrian Cotta-Arc. At the Cotta-Arc house, when asked by Terra about their mission, Qrow is nudged by Ruby to make up a story about how including students is an extended training mission. He is soon cut off when Team JNR comes back to the living room with dinner.

The next day, Qrow and the group head to the base where the gate closes on them. After he fails to convince the guards with his connections to Ironwood, he presents Weiss and reasons that they are trying to get her home. The group then meets Caroline Cordovin, who only allows Weiss to return to Atlas. When the gate shuts on them again, Qrow walks away to drink, as they lost their only chance to get to Atlas. He later does not pick up his Scroll when Ruby calls him, angering his niece.

By nightfall, Qrow drinks too much alcohol and is left unconscious on the doorsteps of the Cotta-Arc house. He is then found and awakened by Team RWBY and Maria, with Ruby telling him that they have been searching for Oscar. Everyone is later shocked to find Oscar back at the house cooking dinner for them. Inside, Qrow goes up the stairs to be by himself but is stopped by Ruby, insisting that he stays with the group. He then blatantly tells his niece that they are still stuck in Argus with no way of getting to Atlas. After Jaune brings up an idea of stealing a military airship, Qrow quickly rejects it, reasoning that will be facing the Atlas military if they get caught. But his rebuttal is countered by Ruby, who shocks him with her declaration that she does not care what he thinks. After Ruby decides that the group should do things their way, Qrow looks at his niece, who has determination on her face.

The group ultimately goes through with Jaune's plan, and Qrow waits on the cliffside with Ruby, Team JNR and Oscar so that they can be picked up by Weiss and Maria. He stands by himself against a tree with a worried look on his face, which raises concern from Ruby. As he had feared, the plan fails with Blake not disabling the radar, and Weiss and Maria are caught by Cordovin. Qrow then starts to emotionally breakdown and blame himself for the trouble they are in and saying that he should not have come along with the group because of his Semblance. But Ruby stands up to him again, saying that they are not his responsibilities. Qrow is left stunned at how grown up his niece has become.

As the group prepares to fight Cordovin in her Colossus, they decide to use their size and numbers to their advantage to find a weakness in the Colossus, with Qrow using his avian form to search from the air. After saving Ren from falling off, the two discover the shield generator on the back and fire bullets at it, successfully destroying the shields. But as they get on Weiss' Queen Lancer, Cordovin counterattacks and destroys the summon, forcing them to crash land on the cliffside.

As they recover, the group learns from Oscar about the missiles coming out of the cannon and they can detonate them. Qrow expresses concern for Ruby as she jumps onto the airship, and is later horrified when she misses and the ship is hit with a lightning Dust blast, with the rest of the group quickly dodging the blast as it reaches them. When Ruby, Maria and Oscar crash into the trees, Qrow transforms into his avian form to rush over to them. Upon seeing his niece heading towards Cordovin, he grabs her hand and urges her to stop. But after Ruby glares at him and tells him to trust her, Qrow lets her go and confront the Commander. To everyone's shock, Ruby dashes inside the cannon and causes the Dust to explode. As she escapes and falls, Qrow catches his niece with Weiss' aid. The group is later horrified when a Leviathan approaches the city.

The group is reunited with Blake and Yang, and they board the ship to get to the Leviathan. They reach Argus to find the Leviathan breaking through the first city shield. When they fly past the Manticores to try to reach the giant Grimm, Qrow yells that they are too late to stop it and have to pull back as the Leviathan destroys the last city shield. He then watches as Ruby petrifies the Leviathan and Cordovin finishes it off. The group receives permission to go to Atlas as the military fight off the rest of the Grimm.

Later that night, Qrow praises Ruby for her feats back in Argus and is about to take a drink from his flask. But he stops himself and receives a hug and an "I love you" from his niece. Following this point, Qrow decides to give up his drinking habit altogether. When Maria compliments him, Qrow admits that the students did all the heavy lifting, with her replying that he was there for them when they fell. He then informs everyone when they reached Atlas, saying that they should take a look at the site of the city. As everyone is mesmerized, the mood turns sour when they see the Atlas air fleet surrounding the floating city. Qrow comments that they look like they are expecting an attack before they are greeted by air control.

Cautiously, Qrow and the group decide to fly to Mantle instead of trying to meet Ironwood directly. Along the way they leave the Manta behind and Maria leads them through Mantle to what turns out to be Pietro Polendina's pharmacy. The heroes talk to him and try to ask him to meet Ironwood.

Suddenly, however, an alarm sounds, and Ruby and the group are forced to fight an onslaught of Sabyrs. Penny Polendina interrupts the fight and finishes off the last of the Grimm before sharing an oddly heartwarming reunion with the heroes. After Penny leaves to fight more Grimm, the Ace Operatives arrest the heroes for unauthorized weapon use, seizing their weapons and the Relic, and putting them in a transport bound for Atlas.

After seeing the city surrounded by a military fleet and receiving radio contact encouraging them to land and meet with a security team, Qrow and the rest the group decides to be cautious and fly to Mantle instead. As they make their way through the city, they observe and discuss the state of Mantle until the group arrives at a clinic to see Pietro.

Alarms signaling a Grimm attack, Qrow and the group fend off a pack of Sabyrs. The fight is finished by Penny and Pietro invites everyone back to the clinic to answer more questions, Qrow and the others are apprehended by the Ace-Ops, who, according to their leader Clover Ebi, are responding to reports of unauthorized Huntsmen. Despite Qrow protests, the group's weapons and the Relic of Knowledge are confiscated, and the group is loaded into the back of a vehicle.

On the airship they meet Forest, a supporter of Robyn Hill. They talk with him about Robyn for a short while before they are delivered to Ironwood and released from their restraints. Shortly after that, Ironwood reveals his plans to the group while Ruby decides to withhold information about what happened on their way to Atlas from Ironwood. Later Ironwood welcomes Qrow personally, relieved to see him while the rest of the group tours Atlas.

Once Ruby's Group was caught up on the Amity project, the Ace-Ops led a mission with them on the Schnee Dust Company Mine 2, to secure the location as a launch site for the Communications Tower. Qrow joins Clover in the caves, where he and the Ace-Op discuss the Qrow's past in Team STRQ, as well as their Semblances. Clover tells Qrow to not beat himself up over his misfortune and informs him that his Semblance is good fortune. Qrow later watches the Ace-Ops defeat the Geist that had been rendering the mine unusable.

After the mission, Clover tells Qrow he would chalk up Ruby's aid in the fight as talent. Clover reports what happened to James Ironwood, who explains to Qrow that he was sent to investigate various murders in Mantle.

After Ruby's Group were promoted into being fully-fledged Huntsmen by Ironwood in celebration, Qrow and Ruby have a private conversation away from the group, in which Ruby brings up her mother, Summer. Qrow admits that not even he and Ozpin are aware of what had happened to her after her last mission.

When Team RWBY attempt to locate Hanlon Fifestone somewhere in Mantle, Qrow assists them due to having five security drones all throughout the area attempting to locate Fifestone. While he talks with the group, he reveals that he stole Winter's Sabre and asks them to return it to her as well. Once the group locate all five security drones, they learn that Fifestone is at the Mantle industrial center and leave to arrest him. Before they leave, Qrow asks them to promise that they would come back since he doesn't know what he would do if something were to happen to them.

Qrow later helps prepare the Amity Communications Tower for its debut, partaking in various operations to gather resources for it. During a mission, Clover, Penny, Ruby, and Qrow's transport is stopped by Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses. Robyn questions what supplies supposedly destined for Mantle's wall are doing so far away. When Clover tries to brush off her concerns, Robyn reveals that she knows Amity Arena is at the Schnee Dust Company Mine #2 and questions its attention in light of the length of time before the next Vytal Festival. Ruby tries to justify the project without disclosing details, but Clover stops her, leading to a stand-off.

Robyn remains steadfast as all involved reach for their weapons when Penny presents herself and warns Robyn that the two Huntresses at the rear of the transport should desist. Joanna Greenleaf and May Marigold, who had been cloaked, become visible. Robyn complies with Penny's request and Clover wishes her luck in her bid for Council.

After Tyrian's massacre in the Mantle Warehouse, framing Penny, Ironwood tells Qrow, Winter, Clover, Ruby, Nora, and Ren that Robyn's theft of material has stalled the launch of Amity, and Ironwood is close to declaring martial law.

Ironwood and his subordinates are invited by Jacques Schnee to a private dinner party at his mansion to defend his council position. Qrow and his group are invited along too as a precaution in case the council needs more witnesses. At the Schnee Manor, he and Marrow Amin decide to wait outside, the former to avoid drinking and the latter due to being offended at how the Faunus were being treated.

Weiss successfully sneaks to his office during the party and, with some help from her mother, obtains a recording of her father and Arthur Watts striking a deal for Watts to rig the election in exchange for humiliating Ironwood. Weiss shows the footage to the council resulting in Jacques being stripped of his rank and arrested.

Meanwhile Watts, using Jacques' council credentials, hacks into the Mantle heating grid and deactivates the heat throughout the city, freezing the citizens. The public assume Atlas to be freezing them out and cause a huge riot and fire in the streets, attracting a massive Grimm invasion. With the panic Ironwood was afraid of already happening, Ruby and Oscar convince him to tell the council and Robyn of Salem, which he agrees and complies with.

During the Battle of Mantle, Qrow, along with the rest of the Ace-Ops and Ruby's Group (bar Oscar) deploy to Mantle in an airship. The flight is interrupted by a pair of Teryxes, who destroy their Manta and forces the group to eject into the city below. There, he and Qrow receive orders from Ironwood for a special assignment.

A broadcast is sent out to all of Mantle and Atlas by Ironwood and Robyn which Ironwood reveals the existence of Salem and links the recent murders in Mantle to her minions Tyrian Callows and Arthur, while Robyn uses her Semblance on him to prove it to all be true. The two encourage everyone to stand together due to Salem's goal being to divide them. Ironwood reveals his plans involving the Amity Communications Tower, claiming it is ready for launch and tells the civilians they will be evacuated to Atlas.

As a result, Tyrian looks to cause further panic and division, hunting down Robyn once she revealed her location in the broadcast. Robyn leaves her Happy Huntresses to search for any missed civilians and is shortly after cut off by Tyrian. Tyrian attempts to attack Robyn but is ambushed by Qrow and Clover, and Robyn reveals it to be a trap that she and Ironwood devised. A battle ensues, in which Tyrian is very quickly overwhelmed, rendered unconscious, and captured by the trio, who call for a Manta to bring him in.

Aboard the Manta serving as prisoner transport, Robyn and Clover barely have time to discuss the message that was just sent out by Ruby about Ironwood's plan to declare martial law and of Salem's incoming arrival before a wanted notice is sent out to people's Scrolls. Due to Qrow being listed in the notice along with RWBY, JNPR and Oscar, Clover prepares to arrest Qrow, calmly explaining the situation, only for Robyn to start accusing him of following James' apparent tyranny. Clover attempts to de-escalate the situation, but Robyn attacks him leading to a three way battle between Clover, Robyn, and Qrow. During the fight, Tyrian is broken free from his seat and crashes the Manta.

At the Manta crash site in the Solitas tundra just outside Mantle, Qrow finds Robyn unconscious, and Clover uses the opportunity to tell him to surrender, begging him to not spark another fight. Qrow refuses and the two reluctantly continue their fight. Meanwhile, Tyrian frees himself of his restraints and joins the fight. Clover prevents Qrow from fighting Tyrian, and upon observing this, Tyrian offers Qrow a temporary truce where the two of them would focus on Clover.

Qrow and Tyrian fight Clover together, and the battle results in Qrow breaking Clover's Aura. Qrow yells at Clover, demanding to know why he couldn't ignore his orders and do the right thing, which Clover responds by saying he trusts James with his life and wanted to trust Qrow in the same way. While they argue, Tyrian retrieves Qrow's sword and uses it to murder Clover. A Manta flies overhead, and Tyrian flees, assuming the airship to be the authorities. Qrow kneels by Clover's side, promising that he will make sure Ironwood will take the fall for what's happened. With his dying breath, Clover wishes him good luck. Qrow breaks down in pain as he mourns Clover's death.

Following this, Qrow and Robyn are arrested. Still upset, Qrow takes Clover's bloodied good luck pin with him, looking at it in mourning as he's taken away.

Qrow along with Robyn is imprisoned in an Atlesian military facility in adjacent cells along with Jacques Schnee and Arthur Watts. As Robyn and Jacques argue, some soldiers arrive and take away Watts, and Qrow declares his intention to kill Ironwood.

Later, Robyn attempts to lighten the mood with a story and ends up having a solemn talk with Qrow about Clover's death and how both their Semblances have affected their ability to have relationships with people, Qrow's Semblance causing him to distance himself from others and Robyn's naturally doing so due to people's fear of her taking advantage of her own ability. They are interrupted by Harriet Bree and Marrow, the former noticing Qrow with Clover's pin and accusing him of being a murderer. Angered, Robyn defends Qrow and tempts Harriet to open her cell so she can prove that he is innocent and goad Harriet into a fight, but Marrow stops Harriet before she does so.

As the Battle of Atlas breaks in full, Qrow and Robyn talk about the war outside. Their conversation is interrupted by a loud explosion as Cinder blows through the prison walls in order to retrieve Watts. Before any of the debris can hit him, Qrow evades being seen by transforming into a bird, to Robyn's surprise.

Inside the military compound, the two retrieve their weapons and continue sneaking around. Qrow wants to go up to Ironwood's office and "end this", but Robyn worries about the consequences if Qrow's idea fails. She attempts to talk him down, and just as Qrow begins calming down, they are interrupted by the arrival of the elevator that Robyn had stopped Qrow from calling. The two ready themselves for a fight but are instead surprised by Marrow and Winter being on the elevator.

Later Qrow and Robyn attempt to stop the bomb from leaving Atlas when the Ace-Ops confront them. Before they reach them however, Marrow freezes them with his Semblance and helps them out. Following this Qrow is seen restraining Elm when a Watts controlled AK-200 charges and self destructs on the group, despite Marrow taking the brunt of the explosive, Qrow is seen clutching his former stinger wound sight whilst Harriet escapes with the bomb. Following Robyn ramming Harriet's ship, Qrow appears in bird form flying towards the cockpit, turning into human form to smash through the cockpit window tackling and pinning Harriet in the cargo hold stating "Looks like you get that fight after all." before getting knocked back by Harriet as a fight ensues. During the skirmish Qrow tells Harriet she's making a mistake and she cuts the bomb loose and jumps on the rear of the ship causing it too tilt and the bomb to slide towards the ramp. Qrow jumps in front and tries stopping the bomb as Vine grabs onto the ship with his Semblance. Unable to stop the bomb after being knocked back Qrow pulls out Clover's emblem and breathes a sigh of relief as the bomb gets caught on a part of the ship. After Watts activates the bomb, Qrow informs the others that the autopilot is locked, Vine chooses to sacrifice himself to stop the bomb and before he leaves Qrow looks at Vine before turning into his bird form and flying off back to the other ship.

After Atlas has fallen Qrow watches on distraught trying to reach Ruby and Yang over the comms as Robyn comforts him.

## Personality

Qrow is a seemingly rude, blunt, cynical, sometimes crass, yet cool-headed and nonchalant individual, who appears at first glance to be somewhat immature, insensitive and stand-offish, but actually has a heart of gold.

He is an alcoholic, as Glynda Goodwitch notes "he's always drunk!" and is usually seen taking swigs from his hip flask, often at inappropriate times such as in front of children or during important strategic meetings. It's also clear that he cannot handle leadership without relying on alcohol as seen during his travels with Team RNJR, following the Fall of Beacon. Qrow has a habit of giving people nicknames, as he refers to Ruby as "Pipsqueak", but his preferred nickname for her is "Kiddo". Other examples include "Firecracker" for Yang, "Oz" for Ozpin, "Jimmy" for Ironwood and "Ice Queen" for Winter Schnee.

He dislikes Atlas and openly criticized their military for occupying Vale and mistreating Ozpin during the Vytal Festival. Qrow's dislike of Atlas was brazen enough for him to immediately get into a brawl with Winter Schnee upon encountering her and personal enough for him to back down at the last second just for the chance to humiliate Winter in front of James Ironwood. He also shows a level of cockiness when he baits Winter into attacking him. He also has a mercurial attitude towards his age: disgusted at the notion of being called old by his nieces, but willing to use it as an excuse to leave uncomfortable conversations.

This childish and maverick facade, however, belies the demeanor of a veteran Huntsman. While watching Vytal Festival Tournament matches, he openly expresses displeasure and lack of approval, even as far as calling one a mess. He hinted to his nieces that his time out in the field had hardened him, which made them much safer displays of strength on the broadcast seem tame and benign in comparison. He is very cautious because of that, warning Ruby and Yang to not let their past near-victories against Roman Torchwick and the White Fang go to their heads. Regardless, he has faith in his nieces' potential as Huntresses, encouraging them to continue learning throughout their time at Beacon, saying they will go far after graduating. He also tries to help raise Yang's morale after her disqualification and proposes to help her find her mother though he warns her that Raven is not a kind person and is a dangerous woman with a worldview that he does not share.

Qrow is shown to be tender at heart despite his rough demeanor and cares for both of his nieces dearly. He saved Yang and Ruby from Grimm when they were very young and later took Ruby under his wing and trained her in scythe-wielding, allowing her to pursue her dreams as a Huntress. "It's Brawl in the Family" and "Lessons Learned" also show that he has remained very close to his nieces and plays the part of the childish uncle. In "Family", it is shown that unlike his sister, Qrow despises killing and is upset with Raven for not contacting Yang, especially after she learned her daughter had lost her arm. While both Qrow and Raven attended Beacon to learn how to kill Huntsmen, Qrow's disgust and anger toward Leonardo Lionheart shows how far he has come. His value for family is strong to the point he suggests that Raven return to help in the fight against Salem, implying he still cared for her despite everything she had done. However, this changes In "The More the Merrier", as after Qrow finds out Raven joined forces with Cinder Fall and set a trap for him, his nieces and their friends, he claims that he no longer sees her as family. However, he still asks for Raven's whereabouts after the battle showing that he may still care for her. Qrow also agrees to hide Lionheart's cowardice and betrayal from Ironwood for the time being, as well as agreeing to cover up Lionheart's death so that the people of Mistral believe he died a hero.

He is also very self-conscious about his Semblance to the point self-loathing, aware of its possible impact on the people around him, he makes a point to keep his distance from those he cares about. Qrow regards his life as being cursed due to his misfortune Semblance. Seeing himself as a burden to friends and family because of the bad luck he brings to everyone around him, he tries to spend most of his time living and working alone.

He does not hold back his opinions, he berates Ironwood for militarizing Vale, undermining Ozpin and inciting fear in the population, which empowers the Grimm. He admonishes his nieces for thinking they're capable of putting a stop to all crime in Vale and tells them they were not thinking like true Huntresses. When Ozpin tells Pyrrha Nikos why he needs her help and asks her to become a Maiden, Qrow is the only one who bluntly tells her just how bad the consequences could be for her should she agree. When Ruby tries to reassure Oscar Pine that he's his own person and not just another life to Ozpin, Qrow bitterly remarks "Don't lie to him, Ruby. We're better than that."

Despite Qrow's general dislike of authority and rules, he is extremely loyal to and trusting of Ozpin at first. He holds religion in doubt, but he takes Ozpin's word on the existence of the The Gods and their Relics. However, when Ozpin's past is revealed, Qrow feels betrayed and worthless. He turns his back on Ozpin, immediately having lost all faith in him, and lashes out both physically and verbally, deeming meeting him "the worst luck of his life".

By "Lost", Qrow falls into a depressive state, and his alcoholism worsens. He refuses to talk with anyone about his problems and resorts to drinking to numb his pain. It is not until Ruby stands up to him that Qrow starts to snap out of his depression, even making efforts to drink less. He also shows surprise and pride in Ruby's growing maturity and leadership skills. Qrow mentions to Clover Ebi in "Sparks" that he has given up alcohol and in "Cordially Invited" he turns down a drink when offered.

In "Known by its Song", Raven stated that she and Qrow attended Beacon to learn how to kill Huntsmen, implying that he once shared her brutal nature in the past. By comparison, when Qrow realized that Leonardo had the Mistral Huntsmen killed, he expressed pure disgust and anger towards his former ally, showing how far Qrow has come since his youth, fully embracing the responsibilities of a Huntsman and developing a strong sense of right and wrong.

Although he has made strides to better himself, Qrow nonetheless holds a double standard regarding secrets when it comes to his family. In "A New Approach", he goes along with Ruby's decision to lie to Ironwood and keep Ozpin's disappearance, how many questions left in the Relic of Knowledge, and Salem's immortality a secret from him, despite the fact that it was this decision that made Qrow turn on Ozpin in the first place. Later in "Pomp and Circumstance", when Ruby asks him if she is just like Ozpin, Qrow replies no and states that the difference between the two is that she is making sure they prove themselves first, which is the exact same thing that Ozpin did before revealing his secrets to others.

After Qrow was arrested following Clover's death by Tyrian Callows, he fell into depression once again and blamed himself, holding on to Clover's four-leaf pin to remember him by. While in prison, he bonded with Robyn Hill, as they were both shunned due to their Semblances.

Once Qrow and Robyn escaped from prison and realized that Ironwood was willing to destroy Mantle to get what he wanted, Qrow began thinking of killing Ironwood to stop him. Robyn however managed to talk him out of it, before they encountered Winter Schnee and Marrow Amin and came up with a plan to defeat Ironwood and evacuate both Atlas and Mantle.

## Powers and Abilities

Despite his reputation as a frequent alcoholic, Qrow is nevertheless one of the most capable Huntsmen in the series, being a trusted member of Ozpin's inner circle.

A testament to his strength and skill is that even while under the influence, he was able to match Winter, a high ranking Atlas official, in armed combat despite her status as a highly trained Huntress. His skill and power are so great that Mercury Black, a professional assassin who can casually defeat trained 2nd Year Huntsmen-in-Training like Yatsuhashi Daichi and Coco Adel, was seen terrified of his presence and immediately flees on sight.

Even among his peers, Qrow is a greatly feared and formidable Huntsman, with even the likes of Ironwood and Arthur Watts being wary of his combat prowess and reluctant to engage him in battle.

It is stated in "Welcome to Haven" by Lionheart that Qrow is evenly matched with his sister Raven, although this did not take her Maiden powers into account as it was unknown at the time.

As one of Ozpin's closest lieutenants and operatives, Qrow is incredibly skilled at intelligence gathering and espionage, having been known to bear witness to some of Salem's as-of-yet unseen creations, describing them as fear itself. His ability to transform into a bird was given to assist him in this capacity.

As revealed in *RWBY: The Grimm Campaign*, Qrow's skills and prowess as a legendary Huntsman is in fact a worldwide, publicly known fact, to the point where Qrow is even seen as a celebrity.

### Physical Abilities

Despite his slim and lean build, Qrow has shown to have great physical prowess.

Even when disarmed, he simply resorted to fists to beat Tyrian Callows back with ease, despite the latter's status as one of Salem's most trusted followers and showing himself to be proficient in hand-to-hand combat, able to deliver several quick staggering blows and a kick strong enough to put some distance between him and his opponent. His hand-to-hand skills are later shown against Tyrian once more in "Gravity", where he employs punches and kicks against the serial killer extensively.

Qrow is strong enough to smash a crater into the ground with his sword, cut through metal poles, as well as release Aura arcs. Qrow has also shown proficient accuracy with Harbinger as a throwing weapon, as seen in his fight with Tyrian when he launched his sword into the ground in mid-fall to act as a foothold to regain traction and control of the battle.

Qrow has been shown to be incredibly resilient and durable, to both toxins and physical force. It took a substantial amount of time for Tyrian's venom to work its way through his bloodstream, even with Qrow drinking alcohol, which would make the venom spread even faster. Also, Qrow was seen taking powerful Dust-enhanced blows from Hazel Rainart, an incredibly strong unarmed fighter capable of battling multiple trained huntsmen simultaneously, and yet managed to keep fighting.

In addition to strength and durability, Qrow is shown to be extremely fast and agile, dodging an attack from someone as fast and mobile as Winter. He was also able to keep up with Tyrian, whose own speed proved difficult for someone as quick as Ruby.

Qrow's weapon of choice is **Harbinger**, a shotgun-sword-scythe. As mentioned by Ozpin, Qrow is a master at wielding said scythe, as shown when we taught Ruby how to use her scythe. Crescent Rose is confirmed not to be a copy of Harbinger, as Ruby stated that she designed Crescent Rose herself. There are also notable differences. In "Heroes and Monsters", he was shown easily dispatching a Griffon by slicing it in half, demonstrating he has a remarkable mastery of his weapon.

In the episode, "It's Brawl in the Family", Harbinger first appears as a longsword, which contains gears near the cross-guard area. Like most Huntsman weapons, his blade also contains a gun component. Though as he began to reveal its true form, he stops and retracts it before its transformation is complete. The scythe form is later seen in its entirety in "Heroes and Monsters".

Qrow is able to perform a slash with his scythe that is too fast for the eye to see, even when everything is viewed in slow motion. Moreover, during his fight with Winter, Qrow wields Harbinger proficiently with either hand, revealing himself to have trained to be able to use it whether it is in his dominant or weak hand. However, he seems to prefer his left hand, indicating that he may be left-handed.

Qrow's Semblance, **Misfortune**, causes bad luck around him and unlike most Semblances, it’s eternally active and can never turn off. Its effects can lead to incidents as small as a glass being knocked onto the floor in "New Challengers..." or as significant as impacting an entire fight.

His Semblance does not discriminate on who it affects, which causes him to keep his distance from the people he cares about. He can also choose to amplify his Semblance in a fight, increasing the chance of his opponent getting hurt. This can be an advantage to him against unprepared opponents, but he is forced to fight alone as to not cause problems for his allies. His Semblance can be helpful in a fight, such as when Tyrian falls through an old roof, but can cause problems as when a piece of wood almost fell on Ruby.

In "The Final Word", Qrow manages to stop a bomb from falling out of a ship with the help of Clover's pin, showing that he can control it to some extent.

In "Rest and Resolutions", it is revealed that like his sister Qrow has the ability to transform into a corvid, specifically a crow. This ability was bestowed upon him by Ozpin through magic in order to act as his eyes in the world. In this form he is capable of flight and can cover large distances in a short amount of time. He often uses it for stealth purposes, as seen in the post-credit scene of "End of the Beginning", where he follows Team RNJR as they travel to Mistral.

As Raven was capable of talking while transformed, it is likely that Qrow can as well.