RWBY is well-known for its creative take on classic weapons and stories, turning them on their head and mashing them together to create something entirely new. Aside from the main cast of Team RWBY themselves, the series' original stay at Beacon Academy introduced one other highly plot-relevant team, JNPR (Juniper). Full of equally interesting storylines, these huntsmen and huntresses have as much to bring to the table as their main character counterparts, with unique abilities, perspectives and, of course, weapons. For Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Lie Ren, their weapons are more than just the tools of the trade -- they're a hint to their heritage and hopes.
Jaune Arc's Crocea Mors
Jaune is a simple guy, and this couldn't be any more evident through his choice of weaponry. Crocea Mors is a simple sword-and-shield combination, with said shield also being a collapsible sheath. Jaune's weapon is an heirloom from his family's long line of huntsmen, and the sword is more than capable of getting the job done, just a little slower than its companions. Once Beacon falls, Jaune finally upgrades it.
The first upgrade combines Crocea Mors with the remains of Pyrrha's armor and weapons. Thanks to the extra metal, the blade and shield are heavier, a fact Jaune uses to his advantage. The sheath can now become a second blade for Crocea Mors if extra power is needed, though it does require Jaune to use both hands. In the second upgrade, Crocea Mors was outfitted with dust-capabilities for the first time. Though defensive in nature, making use of hard light and gravity dust, they open a range of possibilities.
Nora Valkyrie's Magnhild
As all members of Team JNPR, Nora is gender-bent version of a character who was notable for disguising themselves as the opposite gender, in this case, Thor, and what's Thor without his -- er, her hammer? Magnhild is part grenade launcher, part hammer, and all ready to blast you to bits.
Nora's bombastic personality translates well to her fighting style and weapon, both of which have the subtly of an explosion. Magnhild spends most of its time in grenade-launcher form and has two shooting styles: one at a time and multi-attack, where its face lifts and it fires off all six cannisters at once. When in hammer form, instead of launching grenades, Nora can choose to detonate them on impact, adding further damage to her blows.
Nora gives Magnhild a small upgrade after Beacon's fall, electrifying it so that she can activate her semblance to increase her physical strength. It can now also fire pink smoke with so much force that she propels herself around the battlefield.
Pyrrha Nikos' Miló and Akoúo̱
The briefest member of the team, Pyrrha is the only member to never have upgraded her weapons. Miló was an exceedingly versatile weapon, having three distinct forms: a Greek-styled short-sword, javelin and a rifle. Couple the all-metal design with Pyrrha's Polarity semblance and battle capability, and you have the makings of an effective tool.
Akoúo̱, her shield, wasn't exactly lagging behind either. Akoúo̱ also doubled as a sheath for Miló when not in use and was sturdy enough for her other teammates to use as a jumping platform and to withstand direct plasma blasts. Thanks to her semblance, Pyrrha could make use of Akoúo̱'s sharp edges in more risky techniques, such as ricocheting attacks.
When not in use, Pyrrha wore both weapons on her back for convenient transport -- and a little extra protection. In many ways, Pyrrha's weapons symbolized her hopes and dreams, as a protector and a huntress... Dreams that suitably, now live on in Jaune.
Lie Ren's StormFlower and Dagger
Ren, the team's main ranged fighter, is almost never without his dual automatic handguns. Much like the real-life bayonet rifle, Ren incorporated long blades that extend down from the magazine for close combat situations. He can also throw the gun like a boomerang, and as of the Atlas upgrades, he can fire the blades that are connected to the gun with a cable.
Ren's dagger was given to him by his father during a Grimm attack on their village, and its status as an heirloom means that it hasn't seen much battle. In part in homage to his father and the blade he doesn't use often, Ren actually styled the blades of StormFlower to match the silhouette of the dagger, giving the guns a distinct shape. When not in use, the blades actually telescope inside themselves and fold up for easy carrying. As for the dagger, a normal sheath will have to do.
