I got into the show a bit before volume 3 came out and found that it really lived up to the hype. The following volume while less epic did focus a lot on character development and growth. Volume 3 ended with a shocking event that affected everyone and Volume 4 was mainly about these characters recovering from their own personal tragedy so they can keep moving forward. Volume 5, however, is my least favorite season of the show. The story is quite broken, the new characters are incredibly inconsistent or flat, and the animation is all over the place. However, despite my problems with the volume, it does give me some good ideas for what may happen in Volume 6. Some of these ideas could be good or bad depending on how you see them so I'm just going to put them here
- Volume 6 could either be as good as volume 3 or as bad as volume 5. I noticed that despite what happens each volume fans have the tendency to get overhyped for the show between volumes. For volume 3 it was justified, but volume 5 left many fans disappointed. For volume 6, I would want to see more returning character and fights. In volume 5, the fights took major dive in quality so I would want Roosterteeth to try harder for next season to give the show the action it became famous for.
- The theme of Unity. In volume 4, team RWBY was divided and focused on overcoming their own personal problems. In volume 5, they were set on the same path and had the same goal of saving haven. This eventually had them reunite in the finale, but we still haven't seen how their different experiences have changed them. I want to see them struggle to work together. Maybe Blake can question her place in the fight against Salem, or Ruby's leadership. I want to see Yang and Blake repair their friendship and Weiss to try to hold everyone together.
- Back to school. Even though our heroes did manage to save Haven Academy at the end of Volume 5 with Lionheart's death and how he sent so many huntsmen and huntresses to their death, I don't know who is actually going to be running the school now. I think we'll be staying in Mistral a little longer just until Qrow and Ozpin can find a new headmaster that they can trust to run the academy. This could give team RWBY some much needed time to relax and explore different plots involving the development they underwent since they last saw each other, as well as giving them time to catch up with friends.
- The prophecy. So there was a lot of exposition in volume 5. It was done extremely poorly with everyone being vague and basically implying stuff for the audience instead of confirming anything. One such conversation between Yang and her mother basically implied that Ozpin took a special interest in team STRQ and is now interested in team RWBY in the same way. My theory is that Ozpin was told a prophecy many years ago telling him how to defeat Salem that went along the lines of this
a team of red, white, black, and yellow led by the last silver-eyed warrior shall defeat
the queen of the grim.
this would basically explain why Ozpin had so much riding on them. It could also seed distrust in him as Ruby and Yang saw how it tore their family apart and got Summer killed. It could really set the overall theme of the volume as now that their back together they have to avoid following in team STRQ's footsteps if they want to save the world.
- Salem's Plan. After seeing what Salem really is in the finale, I would really want more backstory on her. I want somebody to explain how she became queen of the grim and what she plans to do with the relics. We know whatever she has planned it isn't good and that it may involve humanity extinction. What we don't know is the 'why'. Why does she want humanity extinct and what is this game she's playing with Ozpin really about.
- Returning villains. At the end of volume 5, the villains have suffered a defeat similar to the one the heroes did at the end of volume 3. I would like to see them unify themselves to take down the heroes with Salem seeing the heroes as reuniting as a major threat to her. I think emerald and mercury will be majorly affected by Cinder's death and seek to avenge her. They should begin to gather their forces to stop RWBY by recruiting characters like Adam and Neo. We might even get a new villain who can act as their spy on/manipulate the heroes. This could result in a confrontation that might happen before the battle of Atlas or lead up to it.
- Ruby's own personal arc. So Ruby's character is a common complaint on the show. For one thing, Roosterteeth seems to think she's useless without her scythe, despite having super speed and silver-eye powers. Another thing the fans disliked about her is how she's not a good protagonist. When she's fighting alongside her team she seems to be a good strategian, but she has a history of going off on her own against opponents who definitely outmatch her. In Volume 6 I want her to address these flaws and more when she realizes how much her team has grown without her and that she's only gotten worse as a character since then.
I can see her starting the season in very happy to have her team back and wanting to celebrate saving Haven, but becomes confused when her team doesn't seem as happy. She'll quickly realize that each member of team has own baggage to deal with wheather its Blake and Yang trying to rebuild their relationship or Weiss dealing with her own issues of having to go back home again and want to help them through. However the strain of helping everyone with the issues should finally get to her and cause her to grow up a little and learn how to be a better leader.
- The Brotherhood of Faunus. After recruiting an army and stopping the white fang from destroying haven, Blake has succeeded in starting a new civil rights movement for the Faunus. However, seeing as she has her old team back I feel that she might be torn between her responsibilities to the Faunus and her responsibilities to her team. I'm interested to see how the show explores this and how the rest of team RWBY deals with having to share her. But, I do expect that either Sun or her Dad will take lead of the movement before the end of the next Volume, when the weight of leading a civil movement becomes too much for her.
- Weiss upset at having to go to Atlas again. We got a look at how Weiss's life in Atlas is like in Volume 4 and my is she'll do everything in her power to prolong having to go back. Now I'm not sure what she'll do to accomplish this, but I think it will involving supporting her team through their own issues. Eventually I can see someone maybe Ruby telling her that even though they're heading to atlas that her friends wouldn't let her family hurt her again. This could also lead to Salem recruit help in Atlas for the following volume.
- Raven's visit with Tai. At the end of Volume 5 we saw Raven return to presumly talk with Tai. I belive this will be the start of either her redemtion arc or put her in a prime position to become Salemn next pawn. Hopefully its the former as I really would like her to stop being so stupid and just try to do everything in her power to win back her daughter. Raven's bandits never really stood a chance against Salem and she should know this. She should also realize that everyone she really loves is willing to risk their lives to stop Salem so even if shes scared she should learn that its pointless not to join with Ozpin's group. If Raven does join up I would like her to finally get Ozpin to spill the beans on how the conflict with Salem actually began and other important secrets he's keeping.
- Silver-eyes backstory. This is one the fans having been asking for since the end of volume 3. What are the Silver-eyed warriors and how do their powers work. I'm hoping someone finally gets Ozpin to confess this as well as explain why it took so long to ask him. Personaly I like the backstory created by the UnicornofWar with Ozpin shattering the moon to create them.
- Yang vs Blake. Okay so its obvious that these two have a lot to work out. Blake and Yang have enough issues between them to fill a comic book store and I'm looking foward to seeing it address this season. The worst possible thing they can do with this is have them instantly forgive each other and become BFFs. I'm actually hoping that the two understand the problems their relationship have and actually struggle to figure out the correct course of action. Have the problems be clear, but not the solutions. Then have it all build up to an awesome fight scene between the 2 that finally gets them to figure out what they need to do. I normaly hate it when Heroes fight over stupid reasons, but I really do think that having a bumblebee battle could actually make the ship stronger.
