Salem (RWBY)

"So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed...there will be no victory in strength."

- Salem Salem is the true primary antagonist of RWBY. Originally serving as the narrator of the series premiere and most of the World of Remnant mini-series, she made her first full appearance in the Volume 3 finale. She is a knowledgeable woman who knows much about the world's lost history, and appears to want nothing more than the complete extinction of humanity. She is associated with Cinder Fall.

She is voiced by Jen Taylor, who is also the voice of Cortana.

Appearance
Salem's skin is completely white as snow, covered with deep red and purple veins running up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead.

She wears a very long black cloak with red designs resembling eyes, which bear a resemblance to the designs on Cinder's glove. She has grey hair formed into a bun with six offshoots from which ornaments are suspended.

Origins
Almost nothing is known of her past, save that she is presumably much older than most other characters, possibly immortal, considering how much of the world's history she knows of. It's unknown how or why she decided to exterminate humanity, but this goal found herself at odds with Ozpin, who allied with the humans and put his faith in them.

Volume 1
In the first episode of the series, Salem narrates the history of the humanity, born from dust. She speaks of the conflict against the Grimm, their discovery of nature's wrath, Dust, and the beginnings of civilization in the absence of the Grimm's influence. Salem warns Ozpin that there can be no victory in strength. However, Ozpin, in response, speaks of victory in simpler things that Salem has forgotten, "Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."

Volume 3
After the destruction of Beacon Academy and the death and destruction that follows throughout Vale, Salem's conversation with Ozpin is continued. Salem states this was the first stage of her plan to divide humanity, to snuff out every source of hope and destroy them. She claims she will destroy everything Ozpin has built, inviting him to send out his Guardians, his Huntsmen and Huntresses, and his "simple soul", boasting she will defeat them all and watch Ozpin burn.

Trivia
Her name derives from the Hebrew word shalem, meaning the state of being whole or intact. Her name is also linked to witchcraft and the occult, due to the Salem witch trials, where many people were accused of witchcraft and executed.

Given her opposition to Ozpin, who is an homage to the Wizard of Oz, she may be an homage to the Wicked Witch of the West.

Until her first full appearance in "End of the Beginning", Salem was credited as Mysterious Narrator.