(RWBY Is) A study in Contrasts, the Semblances of Yang & Adam (Patreon)

Hello again, 

I'm back today, to discuss how RWBY uses Semblances and themes of strength and backstory to compare and contrast two figures, Yang & Adam. 

Many thanks to but a Humble Goon and Yanginaround on Tumblr for their meta that helped make this possible, and as always, thank you yo my wonderful patrons for helping make these videos possible. 

Now, onto the video: 

Now, we know Yang, the heart of team RWBY, Ruby's elder sister and oftentimes caretaker throughout their childhood, everyone's friend and the Yang to Blake's Yin, bringing light into her life. 

And we know Adam, the false face of the White Fang, the Quisling who betrayed his own kind out of fear and then a lust for blood and power. Who tried to drag Blake down to his level & destroy her when she escaped him. 

There are indeed many villains' Yang can be compared and contrasted against in her decision to do good, where they used their pain as a justification to harm. But no one else stands in such stark contrast to her as Adam.

An example of this narratively is in volume 5, where in Blake describes Yang as strength and we see Adam arguing how he views his attack on Beacon as a sign of strength only to have his claims shredded by Sienna Khan. 

Strength also comes up in regards to matters of forgiveness, with Ilia, and in Yang's argument with Raven, and is carried forward into Volume 6. With Maria referencing how despite suffering a similar trauma to herself, Yang carried forward, rather than hide.

Given Adam explicitly sought Blake out for revenge despite him having been the one to harm her; while in contrast, Yang doesn't take her hurt out on Blake, and I think this thematic resonance speaks for themselves. 

As to their individual characters, as opposed to overarching themes of strength we have events like, volume 3. 

Where Blake makes a comparison between her former and current partner, fearing Yang to be heading down the same path he did, thanks to their similar surface traits, such as Semblances. 

This was in error, of course, due to Yang having been framed and her occasional flares of anger (Which are always directed and controlled safely as a release valve for stress) brushing up against her trauma from Adam's abuses and gleeful violence, which he disguised as righteous anger. 

In this Yang is a perfect foil to Adam. 

Adam, who used his 'partner' as a shield while he readied his Semblance. Adam who built his fighting style around its use, VS creating weapons that enhance but don't rely on it. Adam who refuses to risk himself or suffer damage in order to gain power, but will use others strength viciously and destructively whether to enhance himself or lash out.  

In this, Yang’s semblance really is a perfect bit of writing. She never got to have a outlet for her negative emotions, she always had to be strong for her family. 

As established in V1 with Ruby discussing stories, V2 with Yang's backstory to Blake & V5 with Weiss. Gold also makes reference to this, to the point where the line, “like the smell of a rose on a summer’s day, i will be there to take all your fears away” shows how she tried to model herself after Summer for Ruby's benefit. 

In essence, Yang deals with all her loss and pain by bottling it up, bearing the brunt of the harm for others and then aiming it all at whoever is posing a threat and letting it go. her semblance is literally the power to endure a beating and turn it into her strength. 

Its a very selfless use of pain and anger; one that she only ever uses constructively, to protect. Because that is a central pillar of Yang's identity and what serves to contrast Adam to her, making him her foil and visa versa. 

Adam used pain as a pretext to indulge in violence and seek power, even using it as a tool for manipulation against those who bore no responsibility for his wound. 

Meanwhile, in Yang's reckoning, you never use your pain as an excuse to be a bad person. You take it and you make something good from it.

Its what Yang did as a child when she saw a void in her family that needed to be filled to keep them all together and afloat, and its what she does now.