RWBY features a lot of heroic characters in its world, but there aren’t any shown as more heroic than Pyrrha Nikos. Inspired by the ancient Greek heroes of historic myths, Pyrrha is the kind of person who can always be counted on to do the right thing. She spends the first three volumes of the series doing just that: standing up for bullied students, giving advice at the expense of her feelings, and training her classmates to be better fighters.
Unfortunately, Pyrrha suffered the same tragic fate as many ancient heroes did: she was slain by a villain. She hasn’t appeared in the flesh since RWBY’s third volume, but her presence is often felt in the series as both Team RWBY and Pyrrha’s former Team JNPR are conscious that they’re one member short on their journey across the world of Remnant. Pyrrha has remained a fan favorite, even if fans don’t get to see her in new episodes.
10 Why Might Pyrrha’s Voice Sound Familiar?
For Rooster Teeth fans, the voice that belongs to Pyrrha Nikos might sound a bit familiar. Jen Brown has done a lot of work for the production company. She’s previously voiced characters on Red vs Blue, and more recently, she’s voiced characters for Camp Camp.
That’s not all, however. She’s also voiced additional characters within the RWBY franchise. In particular, she’s given a voice to news reporter Lisa Lavender, so she can still be heard on the series.
9 What Inspires Pyrrah's Team?
Many of the characters in the world of RWBY are inspired by other fictional characters. In the case of Pyrrha's team, Team JNPR, the characters are all inspired by heroes of legend -- but not just any heroes. Each of the heroes that provide inspiration from the team are people who were also involved in stories that had them wear gender-swapped clothing.
Lie Ren is inspired by Fa Mulan, Nora Valkyrie is inspired by the Norse god Thor, while Jaune Arc is inspired by Joan of Arc. They all had moments in their legends where they were forced to disguise themselves as someone else. So did Pyrrha’s inspiration.
8 Which Mythological Figure Is Pyrrha Inspired By?
Fans might have surmised right away that Pyrrha was inspired by either an ancient Greek or Roman figure thanks to her aesthetic. The armor, the shield, and the spear are a distinct look for a huntress.
The person that inspired her was Achilles. Achilles was a hero in Greek myth who only had one tiny flaw: his ankle was his weak spot. Eagle-eyed fans will have spotted that Pyrrha was hit in the ankle during her final battle with Cinder Fall. Likewise, in the myth of Achilles, he once disguised himself as a woman with red hair and told people his name was Pyrrha.
7 Does Pyrrha Have Super Strength?
Early in the franchise, fans might have noticed that Pyrrha accomplishes some impressive feats of strength without even breaking a sweat. Not only does she punch her shield through a tree, but she also easily launches Nora into the air with one hand. That might make it seem like Pyrrha is super strong, but the truth is likely trickier than that.
Most of Pyrrha’s feats of amazing strength were performed with one hand on her shield. That means, as a result of her semblance, she might have had a little help. Her semblance, Polarity, allows her to manipulate the magnetism of metallic objects, allowing her to move or bend them. It likely allowed her to put a little more force behind a push with her shield in hand.
6 What Does Pyrrha's Name Mean?
Like the characters in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto franchise, the characters in RWBY have names with special meanings that might give fans clues about them. Pyrrha’s name has a couple of important nods to her character.
As previously stated, it’s a nod to the mythical Achilles that inspired her, but “Pyrrha” is also from the Greek word for “flame-colored,” which is simply a nod to her red hair, her red aura, and the color generally being associated with her. Her surname, Nikos, is a reference to the Greek goddess of victory, Nike.
5 When Is Pyrrha's Birthday?
Very few characters in the world of RWBY have seen an official birth date released. Pyrrha isn’t actually one of them, but fans might know her birthday anyway.
The Crunchyroll Games twitter account shared an image associated with the RWBY Crystal Match game that was celebrating Pyrrha’s birthday. It was shared on September 27, 2019. Of course, it was also deleted later that same day, so the date was never made official.
4 How Is Pyrrha’s Hunting Costume Different From Her Female Classmates?
While attending Beacon Academy, those students training to be Huntsman and Huntresses had a regular school uniform they wore to class. In combat, however, everyone had a costume of their own design. Pyrrha’s clothing was unique.
She was the only female student at Beacon Academy (that we saw during the show’s time there) that had armor as her costume. Other female students had cloaks, boots, dresses, and more, but no armor.
3 Is Her Weapon Just A Spear?
Pyrrha’s weapon is Miló and her shield is Akoúo. Their names mean “speak” and “listen” in Greek, respectively, a nod to one’s offensive use and the other’s defensive use. Miló isn’t, however, simply a spear, though that is how Pyrrha most often uses it.
Miló is technically a javelin, used more for throwing over long distances than spearing things up close. Like many of the weapons in RWBY, Miló can convert to other forms. Pyrrha can use it like a javelin, a short sword called a xiphos, or even as a rifle. Most often Pyrrha uses the javelin and xiphos forms of Miló, possibly because she prefers hand-to-hand combat during many of her battles.
2 Why Wasn’t She JNPR Team Leader?
From her first moments in the series, Pyrrha is painted as a traditional heroic figure, right down to her battle gear and her armor. She’s courageous, loyal, and willing to stand up for injustice at every turn. She doesn’t, however, get the spot as team leader for JNPR. Instead, Jaune Arc is chosen by Ozpin for the role.
Fans might have wondered early on why the seemingly incapable Jaune was chosen, but further examination in the series shows Jaune as someone who, like Ruby can make hard decisions with split-second notice. Pyrrha, on the other hand, is always incredibly conscious of the pressure placed on her by those who see her as a hero, and spends a long time weighing options, making her less likely to make decisions quickly for herself. Pyrrha would not have made a better leader for the team.
1 How Does Pyrhha Live On In The Series?
Pyrrha might have left the series, thanks to Cinder Fall’s merciless actions in the finale of the third volume, but her presence is still felt. In addition to her voice actress still appearing as other characters, there’s a physical reminder of Pyrrha in the animation as well.
When Jaune Arc upgrades his armor during his journey with Ruby Rose, part of his new armor is made from Pyrrha’s. In fact, he combines his family heirloom shield with what’s left of Pyrrha’s circlet. Using Pyrrha’s armor in conjunction with his own reminds Jaune of what he’s fighting for. Likewise, every member of Pyrrha’s former team has added some sort of red ornament to their wardrobe following her loss. In Jaune’s case, it’s a red sash, not unlike Pyrrha’s own.